
Qass 



Book— + 



Making Olb^,,^ 

BODIESlfbeNG' 

Ohirty -Eiqht Lessons 
m Duildinq Vital it if 
andNeroewrce and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inq 
Old c4ae ^ ^ ^^ 

Cessans 

1 and 2 

Bernair Macfadden 






To those, young or old, who desire to retain the 

vivacity, energy and enthusiasm of youth and 

to those who would turn hack the clock of 

Father Time, whose bodies are bent, whose 

eyes are dimmed, who walk with a 

halting gait at an age when they 

should be buoyant with the spirit 

of youth, this course is hopefully 

and sympatjietically dedicated. 



©CU570003 



INTRODUCTION 

OLD age is a disease. 
Premature death is a tragedy. 

The young man's age is upon us. 

The spirit of youth is now a vital necessity 
everywhere. 

Old men are not wanted. They are in the way. 
They are an encumbrance to themselves and 
every one with whom they come in contact. 

Years may have crept upon you. You may 
have advanced far into what is ordinarily consid- 
ered old age. But do not dispair. You may re- 
gain not only the spirit, but much of the vigor, of 
youth ; and it is your duty to do so. 

Square your shoulders. Look the future square 
in the face. Turn the. old man out of your life. 

Keep out the old-age disease. 

Your body is being made over every day, and 
senility results from the debris that accumulates 
in the process of rebuilding. Maintain proper ac- 
tivity of your body throughout every part, and 
there will be no little or no debris. 

Act the part of youth. Cultivate and rigidly 
hold on to the spirit of youth. Maintain your en- 
ergies at high-water mark. Keep your spine 
straight. Thus the old-age disease will find no op- 
portunity to enter your life. 

3 



INTRODUCTION 



If you are already in the clutches of old age, be- 
gin now to fight for the return of youth. Work 
with might and main for the restoration of this 
priceless possession. Train your body as you 
would that of a race horse. Follow out the clear 
and definite instructions that you find in this 
course. Eat food that will give you strength, 
virility, energy, vivacity, enthusiasm, and make 
your life a daily struggle for the most precious 
of all earthly gifts — the power, the joys of youth. 

Men and women have been young at fifty, 
sixty, seventy and even eighty. Some have re- 
tained the spirit of youth on to the century mark. 
Those who live in accordance with Nature's laws 
maintain that life grows more beautiful year by 
year ,that its glories, its joys, its delights increase 
with age. 

If you are living the incomplete life, if you are 
giving up the precious things of human existence 
for the drunken stupor of dietetic excesses, for 
the pleasures of luxury, idleness and ease, you are 
selling your birthright for a mess of potage. 

Wake up to the possibilities within your reach ! 

Rejuvenate your body ! Make your mind keen 
and capable. Obey the laws of Nature and you 
will achieve results that you now scarcely dare to 
dieam of. 



(2 



/sAMj^ 




SUGGESTIONS 
FOR A' DAILY PROGRAM 

BE sure to thoroughly ventilate your sleeping 
room. 

Upon waking in the morning, stretch the legs 
and arms and b.ody throughout as you do when 
yawning. Continue this stretching process until 
you feel that every muscle has been properly and 
thoroughly awakened. 

Take several deep breathing exercises while 
lying in bed. 

Make an extraordinary effort to occupy your 
mind with pleasant thoughts when arising. "Cut 
out the grouch.." 

Stand before a mirror and in night clothing 
or no clothing, take the vitolyzing exercises illus- 
trated in Lesson II. . 

Follow these with general upbuilding exercises 
explained in Lesson VIII. 

• At the completion of your exercise wet the 
hands in cold water and apply them to all parts 
of the body until the skin is wet, then rub the 
body with the open hands and until thoroughly 
dry. Do not use a towel. 

Try to drink a pint or more of water during 
or following the exercises. The water can be 
hot or cold, as desired. 

Arrange your eating habits with a view of 
avoiding over-eating. Some people are able to 
avoid over-eating advantageously by eating only 

5 



SUGGESTIONS FOR A 



one or two meals daily. If you can calculate 
accurately the amount of food necessary to your 
requirements, three meals are satisfactory. Do 
not eat without appetite. Food eaten without 
enjoyment often turns to poison in the stomach. 

It is usually best to begin the day with an 
orange or some other acid fruit. If you have no 
appetite for breakfast, the acid fruit mentioned 
should suffice. 

Eat your hearty meal at noon or at night to 
suit your convenience and your leisure for diges- 
tion. 

A fast of one or two days or even several days 
when your appetite fails or your digestion be- 
comes impaired or you are threatened with acute 
illness, is of extraordinary value. 

Walking is highly commended. 

To avoid or cure any tendency to flat foot, 
walk in a straight line pointing the feet directly 
ahead. If there is a strong tendency to flat foot, 
then point the feet inward. 

Take deep breathing exercises frequently dur- 
ing thp day while walking. 

Every night before retiring take the spinal 
stretching exercise in connection with a deep 
kne^ squatting position, described in Lesson III. 

Always use a little cold cream after shaving, 
or better still, some olive oil or other good oil, 
before applying the soap. 

Use the stretching device for stimulating and 
strengthening the spine once or twice weekly, 
depending upon the condition of your spine. 

6 



DAILY PROGRAM 



Take one or two hot baths weekly, using soap 
freely for cleansing purposes. 

If there is a constitutional inclination towards 
catarrh or pyorrhea, it is advisable to avoid eat- 
ing "hearty" foods after the midday meal. Your 
largest meal should then be taken in the morn- 
ing or at noon, which is most convenient. If 
you have no appetite in the morning, it can soon 
be developed by avoiding an evening meal. Acid 
fruits can be taken in the evening to the extent 
desired and if especially hungry, milk or some 
liquid food, though in this condition it is usually 
safer to avoid these foods. 

Keep the scalp clean and the teeth in a cleanly 
condition. Carefully read over all the sugges- 
tions made in the various lessons and apply the 
suggestions that seem to fit your individual case. 

And at all times, remember the value of good 
humort 



Part One 

Maintaining Youth — The 
Foundation 

Comprising Lessons One to Seven 

I. You Are as Young as Your Spine. 

II. Stand Up Like a Young Man. 

III. Keep-Young Spine Exercises. 

IV. Mechanical Spine Stretching and Straight- 

ening. 
V. Strengthening the Back and Backbone. 
VI. Long-Life Sitting Posture. 
VII. Longevity and the Sleeping Position. 



T 



Making Old Bodies 
Young 

LESSON I. 

You Are as Young as Your Spine 

HERE is one structure of the body that may 
be regarded as the foundation for every- 
thing else. It has more to do than any other 
with determining one's state of health and one's 
physical age. 

The importance of the spine in its relation to 
the general make-up of an individual has been 
recognized from the earliest times. When our 
forefathers referred to the value of ^'backbone," 
speaking in a moral and psychological sense, 
they merely expressed their recognition of the 
supreme importance of the spinal column. The 
same idea is brought home to us today by a clever 
humorist and cartoonist some of whose work 
appears under the significant title, "Are You 
One of These Spineless Creatures?" Speaking 
in either the moral or physical sense, these ex- 
pressions mean simply that without backbone 
one does not amount to much. 

The spine is the dominating and central struc- 
ture of the body. It is the supporting structure. 
It gives stability, and at the same time flexibility, 
to the entire body. From the purely mechani- 
cal standpoint it is a marvel of adaptability. 

Do you realize that in practically every effort 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

you may make the spine is involved? Do you 
appreciate the fact that in lifting a piano, or car- 
rying a trunk, it is this marvelously strong, yet 
exquisitely constructed and flexible spinal col- 
umn that bears the brunt of the burden? When 
you have seen the Arabian acrobat hold on his 
shoulders, in pyramid style, the entire troupe of 
his fellow acrobats, or when you have seen the 
strong man of the circus lift a horse clear of the 
ground, you have had a graphic illustration of 
the strength possibilities of the spine. And yet 
this degree of strength is, as we have seen, com- 
bined with a flexibility which is nothing short of 
marvellous. 

But what has the spine to do with youth and 
with age? Simply this: When your spine be- 
comes old you become old. So long as you can 
keep your spine young you may remain young. 
As we advance in years the spine naturally tends 
to become bent and stiifened. It does not mat- 
ter how early or how late in life this condition 
develops, but as soon as the spine has taken on 
these signs of age you may know that you are 
old. 

Your problem, therefore, should be to keep the 
spine strong and straight and flexible. You have 
probably noticed that among those who have 
lived long, and especially those who have kept 
young and healthy and vigorous while living 
long, almost the first physical characteristic to 
be noted is a good straight back. An old per- 
son with a bent back seems very old. The man 

IQ 



YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE 

of seventy or eighty whose back is as straight as 
that of a boy seems young. 

It is, of course, understood that when we 
speak of a straight spine, we do not use the word 
^'straight" in the same sense in which we apply 
it to a stick. The "straight" spine is one that 
gives the body an erect carriage. There are cer- 
tain normal curves in the perfect human spine 
which are incidental to the vertical position as- 
sumed by man, and which are also valuable as 
a means of relieving the head from the jar, or 
shock, which would otherwise be experienced in 
walking, running, or jumping. In other words, 
the slight curves of a healthy spine help to give 
it spring. But apart from these normal curves, 
which are essential in the perfect erect posture, 
any variation from what one may call a straight 
spine involves a condition of weakness, if not 
worse. 

The human backbone consists of a series of 
twenty-four peculiarly constructed bony struc- 
tures arranged in a column in such a way as to 
provide a canal for the spinal cord. These 
twenty-four bones, or vertebrae, are separated 
from each other by a series of plates, or rings, of 
elastic and compressible material known as car- 
tilage. To get a more perfect and immediate idea 
of the nature of this cartilage, pinch your ear, or 
the tip of your nose. It is a gummy material, yet 
more firm and resistant than gum. When you 
meet it in a lamb stew you call it "gristle." It is 
the presence of these elastic plates of cartilage 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

between the vertebrae which gives the backbone 
as a whole its flexible quality. 

The spinal vertebrae are grouped in three di- 
visions, according to the curves in which they 
are found. The cervical vertebrae, seven in num- 
ber, are those of the neck and take the form of 
an anterior curve (curving forward) . The next 
twelve, known as the dorsal, form a posterior 
curve (curving backward), and extend down to 
about the waistline, or the small of the back. It 
is the dorsal vertebrae to which the ribs are at- 
tached, twelve on each side. The lumbar verte- 
brae, numbering five, form another anterior 
curve at the bottom of which is the sacrum. The 
sacrum is both the base of the spinal column and 
the keystone of the hip and pelvic bones, which in 
the good old days were dignified by the name 
of "haunch bones." Below the sacrum the spine 
tapers off abruptly in a series of tiny bones called 
collectively the coccyx. 

Each of the vertebrae is pierced with an open- 
ing through which the spinal cord passes. 
Branching off from the cord is a series of so- 
called spinal nerves, each consisting of a bundle 
of nerve fibers. The spinal nerves emerge from 
the cord through small openings provided be- 
tween the vertebrae. It will be seen, therefore, 
that if these vertebrae are misplaced, or out of 
line, these openings may be more or less closed 
up, and so the spinal nerves may be pinched and 
their capacity for carrying impulses or impres- 
sions impaired. In the same way, if the cartilage 

12 



YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE 

cushions between the vertebrae become flattened 
or hardened, a narrowing of the openings 
through which the spinal nerves emerge must oc- 
cur, and at the same time the flexibility of the 
spine will be impaired. This necessarily means 
impaired functioning, poor health and a rapid 
development of those bodily conditions which we 
find in extreme age. 

Another factor in the maintenance of a nor- 
mal and beautiful spine is the condition of the 
muscles and ligaments along the course of the 
backbone and of the back generally. If these 
ligaments are relaxed and stretched, they do not 
hold the spinal vertebrae in their proper relation 
to each other, and misplacements are likely to 
occur. In the same way a lack of development 
of the muscles of the back is conducive to faulty 
posture and chronic conditions of spinal curva- 
ture. Remember that the spinal column in itself, 
because of its very elasticity, will not hold one 
properly erect. This is a matter that depends 
upon the muscles of the back. If these muscles 
are strong and well developed and so trained as 
to preserve correct posture, one will experience 
no difficulty in keeping the spine straight and the 
body erect. If, on the other hand, they are weak- 
ened and debilitated, and not properly trained, 
the individual is liable to go about in a drooping, 
stoop-shouldered condition, and to develop va- 
rious forms and degrees of chronic spinal curva- 
ture. The necessity for proper exercises to keep 
the spine strong and normal will, therefore, be 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

apparent. Such exercises will not only strengthen 
the muscles, but will tone up and strengthen the 
ligaments as well. 

Now when we say that "a man is as young as 
his spine," it will be seen that we do not allude 
merely to the mechanical advantages involved in 
good posture, but also to the relationship of the 
spine to the vital processes of the body. These 
vital processes are dependent upon a straight and 
healthy spine, because they are dependent upon 
the currents of nerve force derived from the cen- 
tral nervous system. 

The nervous system may be called the electri- 
cal department of the body. You, of course, 
know how much an electrical system depends 
upon the wires and connections, and what it 
means if the wires are interfered with, or if there 
is anything wrong with the motors, dynamos and 
electrical machinery generally. It is the same 
with the nervous system of the body. If any- 
thing goes wrong with the spinal column, or if its 
communications with the rest of the body are 
interfered with, the whole system must be upset. 
This means, naturally, that the vital processes of 
the body cannot be carried on properly. 

The processes of digestion and the work of the 
liver, kidneys, heart and other vital organs are 
prompted and controlled by nerve impulses. 
More directly, they are carried on and controlled 
by the sympathetic nervous system. 

The central nervous system, so-called, consists 

14 



YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE 

of the brain and spinal cord, with the nerve 
branches radiating directly therefrom. 

In addition to this central nervous system, and 
connected with it, there is a system of nerve 
structures in all parts of the body which collec- 
tively make up what is called the sympathetic 
nervous system. Each separate organ of the body 
has a ganglia, or mass of nerve cells, which has 
to do with its activities. The main or central 
sets of ganglia in the sympathetic nervous sys- 
tem, however, are situated a little in front of the 
spinal column, in a series of pairs, one on each 
side. These are all connected with each other. 

Now these sympathetic ganglia control the en- 
tire sympathetic nervous system, which in turn 
controls those processes of life which are uncon- 
scious, and which are sometimes called the * Vege- 
tative" functions of the body. They go on when 
we sleep, as well as when we are awake, without 
conscious effort or knowledge on our part. The 
digestion of food, the work of the liver, the secre- 
tions of the glands, the beat of the heart and all 
the muscular contractions which are involved in 
digestion, or other vital processes, are carried on 
in this involuntary way without our knowing 
anything about it. These involuntary activities of 
the body are infinitely more important — we may 
say one hundred times more important — than 
our voluntary activities, in so far as life, health 
and energy are concerned. If the sympathetic 
nervous system is not properly keyed up or ener- 
gized, all of these involuntary functions will suf- 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

fer. Your stomach, your liver, your kidneys, 
your glands will not then work properly. 

If a man is as old as his spine, it is chiefly be- 
cause he is as old as his sympathetic nervous 
system, for the reason that the condition of the 
spine and of the spinal cord determines the health 
and activity of the sympathetic nerve ganglia. If 
the spine functions properly and the spinal verte- 
brae are perfectly placed, the circulation in and 
about the spinal cord will be normal, and this 
means also a normal circulation in and about the 
sympathetic ganglia in front of the spinal col- 
umn. On the other hand, if there is stiffness of 
the backbone and a lack of motion, or any mis- 
placement of the vertebrae, the circulation is in- 
terfered with, the currents of nerve force are 
obstructed and one cannot have normal func- 
tioning of the sympathetic nervous system. This 
means that the dependent organs deteriorate or 
degenerate, and one becomes "old." 

That is really what old age means. In the 
natural order of things, the stiffness or rigidity of 
the spine which comes on in advanced life reacts 
upon all of the organs and structures of the body. 
The result is an active change or alteration in 
the structure of most of these organs, which 
usually takes the form of atrophy, or, in other 
words, a withering or wasting away of their tis- 
sues. The walls of the arteries become thickened 
and hardened, and their normal elasticity gives 
place to a greater or less degree of brittleness. 
The working capacity of the kidneys is impaired. 

16 



YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE 

It may be said, indeed, that Bright's disease is 
really a disease of old age. If a man has Bright's 
disease at the age of forty, it is because his kid- 
neys have become old twice too quickly. This 
may result from direct abuse of the kidneys 
through overwork, excessive meat-eating and al- 
coholic indulgence; but, on the other hand, a 
deficient supply of nerve force from the spine 
may be responsible. If the spine is properly 
"loosened up" and in normal condition, so that 
the sympathetic ganglia involved in the work 
of the kidneys are healthy and vigorous, one may 
avoid or even overcome Bright's disease, unless 
the strain upon the kidneys through improper 
diet and improper living is too great. 

In the same way the ductless glands depend 
upon the sympathetic nervous system and 
through that, indirectly, upon the condition of 
the spine. The relation of the ductless glands to 
age is such an important matter that we will 
have a special discussion of the subject later on. 
These glands, and especially the thyroid and 
pituitary body, the adrenal glands and the sex 
glands, are all tremendously important in main- 
taining that state of vigor which is synonymous 
with youth. These glands control what is called 
metabolism; which is the word by which the series 
of tissue changes involved in the building up 
and tearing down of the cells of the body is tech- 
nically designated. And as we shall see later in 
the discussion of the influence of these glands, if 
they do not function properly ,old age will come 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

on prematurely. The spine, through the sympa- 
thetic nervous system, determines, to a very 
large extent, the healthy, active functioning of 
these glands. I am informed that investigators 
have definitely proven that lesions of the cervical 
vertebrae produce malfunctioning of the thyroid 
gland. 

The condition of the spine, furthermore, deter- 
mines the character of the circulation. The vaso- 
motor nerves directly control the blood vessels. 
The blood vessels may be contracted or narrowed, 
relaxed or enlarged, according to the require- 
ments of the body and the necessity for sending 
larger or smaller quantities of blood to different 
parts. If a large blood supply is required in any 
particular region, the vaso-motor nerves expand 
the blood vessels of that region, with the result 
that the increase is brought about. Now if the 
sympathetic nerves or ganglia are interfered 
with, in even the slightest degree, so that the 
vaso-motoT nerves cannot control the blood-ves- 
sels, one cannot possibly have normal circulation. 
If you do not have normal circulation, that is, if 
your blood cannot supply to the different parts 
of the body the necessary food and oxygen, and 
cannot carry away the waste material, the result 
will be impaired metabolism, and this faulty 
function will result in old age. 

Now that we have seen the importance of the 
spine, we will take up the more practical con- 
siderations of what to do to keep it young, 

18 



LESSON n 
Stand Up Like a Young Man 

THERE is a fundamental relationship be- 
tween good posture and youth, on the one 
hand, and bent posture and age, on the other. 
To maintain the posture of youth actually means 
the maintenance of youth itself, because of the 
basic relationship between the healthy, normal 
spine and the condition of bodily vigor which 
signifies youth, irrespective of how many years 
one has lived. 

A great deal of attention has been given in re- 
cent years, by physiologists, physical trainers and 
students of hygiene, to the relationship between 
good posture and health. There has been con- 
siderable discussion of the need for improvement 
in seats and desks for school children. A few 
progressive spirits have even suggested the need 
for improvement in the furniture in our offices 
and homes, and the world may well be thankful 
for this agitation. The subject is one of vast 
importance both to the health and development 
of the growing body and to the maintenance of 
health and strength in the mature. 

As has been already noted, the most easily rec- 
ognized sign of old age is the forward bend of the 
spine, combined with the "round shoulders*' 
which necessarily accompany it. Very old per- 
sons often exhibit this condition in a very marked 
degree, almost bending over double. But peo- 

19 




To overcome a bent or slouching posture the simplest method 
is to stretch the arms high above the head. This straightens 
the back and elevates the chest. Now, keeping head, chest 
and shoulders in the same position lower the arms and you 
find yourself standing in perfect posture, 
20 



STAND LIKE A YOUNG MAN 

pie sometimes show this sign of old age rather 
early in life. On the other hand, men of advanced 
years, by simply straightening their spines and 
walking erect, make themselves look from ten 
to thirty years younger than they really are. 

Therefore, the man or woman who has passed 
middle age and who wishes to maintain the con- 
dition and the appearance of youth — for they go 
together — should make continuous and persist- 
ent efforts to bring the body up to an erect po- 
sition and to keep it erect, as well as to take those 
exercises which are essential in straightening the 
spine and giving it youthful flexiblity. 

In the absorbing cares of business life one is 
liable to forget this fundamental necessity. Par- 
ticularly in the sitting posture one is likely to 
slump carelessly into an improper position. 
Therefore, it may be said, one's entire life should 
be a constant fight to maintain the erect position. 
One should stand erect, walk erect, sit erect and 
try to maintain a straight and normal position 
of the spine even during the sleeping hours. 

The bent-over position of the spine, with the 
stooping shoulders that go with it, influences the 
body in two ways. 

First, the body and its functions suffer from 
the direct effect of bad posture upon the internal 
organs. The chest is flattened and cramped, 
thereby crowding the heart and preventing the 
free expansion of the lungs. It thus means an 
immediate loss of the proper supply of oxygen 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




An ideal method of correcting a bad posture is to stand with 
the back against a wall with heels, hips, shoulders and back 
of the head touching it. Then by bending the head back- 
ward as above, the shoulders are pushed one or two inches 
away from the wall. This gives you a perfect standing posi- 
tion. When in doubt as to your posture try this nnovement. 

72 



STAND LIKE A YOUNG MAN 

in the lungs and consequently in the blood, but 
it also means a displacement downward of all of 
the vital organs. This faulty position of the body 
involves not only a cramped chest but the sag- 
ging and protruding of the abdomen. 

In the normal position the abdominal region 
is never extended. In the slumping posi- 
tion, however, characteristic of the extremely 
aged, or of the one who has prematurely aged, 
the abdomen is relaxed and prolapsed, and the 
stomach, liver and other internal organs sag sev- 
eral inches below the normal, crowding upon the 
intestines and other parts below. There is con- 
siderable strain of all ligaments and tissues in 
this prolapsed condition, and there is also conges- 
tion due to the pressure of these organs upon one 
another. Under such circumstances poor func- 
tioning is inevitable. 

But impaired functioning also results from bad 
posture in another way. That is through the ob- 
struction of the spinal nerves, due to the bending 
of the spine from its normal position and the im- 
proper alignment of the vertebrae. Since all of 
the vital organs depend for their energy upon the 
currents of nerve force secured from the nervous 
system, any interference with or pinching of the 
spinal nerves, whereby part of the normal supply 
of nerve force is shut off, would naturally inter- 
fere to that extent with satisfactory functioning. 
This is a point that has already been taken up 
in the preceding chapter. 

But what is good posture? It may be said 

23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 



briefly that it is the posi- 
tion in which one stands 
most perfectly erect. It is 
this erect attitude that dis- 
tinguishes man from all 
other animals, even from 
the apes. It is the attitude 
in which one is conscious 
of the greatest possible 
energy. It is the charac- 
teristic military position, 
having become so simply 
for the reason that it is 
the attitude in which a 
man possesses the maxi- 
mum amount of energy. 

If you want to know 
just what good posture is, 
try the experiment of 
"drawing yourself up to 
your full height." That 
is what the hero does in 
your favorite novel when 
he is confronted by his 
hated rival and some des- 
perate emergency at the 
same time. It is the atti- 
tude expressive of pride. 

Another ideal posture corrective is the simple exercise of 
clasping the hands back of the head, then pulling the head 
and elbows backward as illustrated. This will straighten the 
spine, raise the chest and give you good standing position. 

24 




STAND LIKE A YOUNG MAN 




Showing^ correct walking position after attaining good pos- 
ture by the foregoing methods. The position of the head is 
the dominating factor in good carriage. The head must be 
Up and the upper spine straight. 
25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




This is "vitolysing/* the author's favorite exercise for improv- 
ing the posture, straightening the upper spine and arousing 
latent nervous energy. It is even a mental stimulant. In- 
stead of tipping the head back, it is brought back while the 
chin is kept down and drawn inward. Think of drawing 
the chin inward, downward and backward and you have 
it. This is done simultaneously with the raising and ex- 
tending of the chest at the solar plexus. Repeat this move- 
ment several times whenever you think of it — if possible, 
dozens of times each day. 
26 



STAND LIKE A YOUNG MAN 




This is a variation of "vitolysing"* in which the head is tumea 
to one side while the chin is drawn backward. This gives the 
upper spine a twist in conjunction with the straightening 
movement. Qoth variations of vitolysing should be prac* 
ticed many times a day. 



27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

of self-confidence and of energy. You will find 
that in this position the head is stretched upward, 
the chest is expanded and the viscera drawn in- 
ward and upward. 

It seems to be natural to men to relax and to 
slump, probably because very few of us have had 
proper early training in the art of holding our- 
selves erect. It may be necessary for you, there- 
fore, to exercise constant vigilance over your 
bodily carriage and to practice certain simple ex- 
ercises which will give you correct posture. 

There are two or three methods which may be 
specially recommended to "set you up." 

The first method consists in standing with your 
back against a wall, and placing against the lat- 
ter the heels, the hips, the shoulders and the back 
of the head. Now if from this position you will 
thrust the head backward a little bit, keeping the 
hips against the wall, the shoulders will be thrust 
slightly forward away from the wall. Try it now. 
Go over and stand against the door and see how 
it works out. 

You will find that by moving the head back- 
ward and thus pushing the shoulders away from 
the wall, the chest will be raised and expanded, 
the back will be given its normal lumbar curve 
and you will find yourself standing in an attitude 
of perfect poise. After you have done this re- 
peatedly and mastered the idea, you will be able 
to take the position even without standing 
against the wall. The backward tip of the head is 

28 




These two photographs illustrate the value of vitolysing in 
correcting a bad posture. The photo at the left shows a 
careless, slouching attitude familiar to everyone. The mere 
act of vitolysing, as in the second photograph, brings the 
head back, straightens the spine and raises the chest auto- 
matically. 
29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

only temporary. The head is brought back to 
the erect or vertical position as soon as you have 
established the proper erect carriage. 

Another plan is to reach upward and clasp the 
hands back of the head with the elbows upward 
and back. Standing in this position, if you will 
now bring your head backward against your 
hands, you will find your chest expanded, your 
spine straightened and your entire poise correct. 
It will give you a position similar to that of the 
soldier. You can now drop your hands to the 
sides, but maintaining the same attitude of the 
spine, and the result will be identical with the 
ideal carriage secured through the exercise of 
standing against the wall. 

There is a third simple exercise for obtaining 
perfect posture through this necessary straight- 
ening of the upper spine. This exercise is so im- 
portant and so valuable as a mental and nervous 
stimulant that I have coined the word "vitolys- 
ing" to describe it. Vitolysing consists simply in 
straightening the upper spine by drawing the 
the head backward while keeping the chin down. 
The important point to think of is to bring the 
chin downward, inward and backward. If you 
will think of this, you can forget everything else. 
It may help you to catch the idea of vitolysing to 
go back to the simple exercise just described. 
While standing with your hands at the back of 
your head bring your head backward, not by 
tipping the chin up, but by tipping the chin down 
and pulling it inward and backward. Be sure to 

30 



STAND LIKE A YOUNG MAN 

pull the head far back while keeping the chin 
down. After you have tried this a few times 
you can do it as well with the hands at the sides 
as at the back of the head. This is vitolysing. 

A variation of the exercise consists in turning 
the head to one side or the other and pulling the 
chin backward. 

You will find that all three of these simple 
methods of obtaining perfect posture are based 
upon the same fundamental principle. It is that 
of straightening the upper spine by bringing the 
head backward in its relation to the body as a 
whole. It is not necessary to think of "pulling 
the shoulders back," as the teacher used to tell 
you to do many years ago, or to think of ex- 
panding the chest. If you get your spine straight, 
the chest will naturally be restored to its normal 
position, and the shoulders will drop back to their 
normal position. 

Remember that the spine is the fundamental 
structure of the human body. With the brain, in 
which it terminates, it constitutes the center of 
the nervous system. All other parts of the body 
are, so to speak, appendages of the spine. The 
shoulders and arms at the upper end, and the 
hips and legs at the other, are simply tacked onto 
the spine. If you did not have a spine, you would 
be a jellyfish, a shellfish, or an insect. Keep 
that spinal column properly straight, keep it 
flexible and keep it erect. 

3D 



Making Old 
Bodies l:beNG 

Ohirty -Eiqlit Cessans 
in Buildina Vitalitij 
and Neroekrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponina 
Oldciae ^ ^ ~-^ 

Cessans 

3 and 4 

Bernair Macfadden 






Copyright 19 19 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CI.A570003 



LESSON III 
Keep -Young Spine Exercises 

THERE is only one way in which the spine 
can be kept young, and that is through exer- 
cise. 

Left to itself, in connection with a physically 
inactive life, the spine, like other parts of the 
body, will become stiffened. Also it becomes 
bent. 

In other words, the spine will rust out quicker 
than it will wear out with proper use. 

Just what then is necessary to a healthy and 
youthful condition of the spine? 

The first requirement is straightness. 

The second requirement is flexibility. 

The third requirement is strength. 

These are the three conditions for which one 
should strive, and one's exercises, accordingly, 
should be chosen to these ends. Corrective move- 
ments of the right kind are necessary in straight- 
ening the spine, and stretching exercises are 
especially important in this connection. Stretch- 
ing, bending and spine-twisting exercises are all 
valuable, not only in straightening the spine, but 
in giving it that quality of elasticity and flexibil- 
ity which is characteristic of youth. Having ac- 
quired these important characteristics, additional 
attention may be given to the strengthening of 
the backbone, and the back generally. 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

As we have already said, the conditions of civil- 
ized hfe, involving sedentary work, sitting in 
improperly constructed chairs, bending over 
desks and other detrimental influences, all com- 
bine to make it necessary for one to make a 
continuous fight in order to keep the spine 
straight and normal. Otherwise the cartilages 
tend to become flattened, hardened and brittle, 
instead of elastic, the vertebrae tend to become 
misplaced, and the spinal column as a whole 
tends to become bent out of its normal curves. 

There are special reasons why the human back- 
bone, more than that of any other species of 
vertebrates, is liable to deviations from the nor- 
mal. In the first place, although the spinal 
structure is very, very old and goes back far 
beyond the beginning-s of human life, indeed as 
far back as the fishes, yet from the standpoint of 
evolution, it is a relatively late development. It 
might, therefore, be expected to develop more 
imperfections, for instance, than the stomach or 
the eyes, which were developed at a far earlier 
period of evolutionary history. 

But the normal spinal position of practically 
all the vertebrates except man is horizontal. 
Spinal evolution had become very thoroughly 
adapted to the horizontal form. The human 
spine is a comparatively recent variation, and 
although it is, in fact, a wonderfully developed 
structure, it has not had such long geological 
periods in which to become adapted to the up- 
right attitude as have the spines of other mam- 

4 



SPINE EXERCISES 




An exercise for flexibility of the Upper spine, useless unless 
performed very thoroughly. First bring the head far for- 
ward, the chin touching the chest if possible, then far back, 
looking straight upward. Repeat all these exercises a few 
times, or until slightly tired. 
5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




Bring the head sideways as close to the shoulder as possible 

and then over to the other. Continue bending back and 

forth, stretching in each instance. 

mals to the horizontal. The human being is the 
only animal that walks in the erect posture. 

It is natural, therefore, that the weight of the 
body, carried by the spine entirely, should some- 
times bear heavily upon this structure. Gravity 
is constantly at work, and gravity undoubtedly 
has a great deal to do with the imperfections so 
often found in the human spine. But it will exert 
a deleterious influence only when the spine is 
weak and the carriage imperfect. If the body is 
well balanced and so carried that the weight is 
properly distributed upon the supporting back- 
bone, the normal spine easily discharges its func- 
tions ; but if there is muscular unbalance, gravity 

6 



SPINE EXERCISES 




Turn or twist the head around, first far to one side, then to 

the other, though without strain. This is most important 

for upper spinal flexibility. 

will aggravate the malpositions and produce 
other imperfections. In other words, if through 
bad posture there is a continuous or unnatural 
strain upon certain parts of the spine, it will be- 
come habitually bent, the ligaments will become 
weakened, the cartilages flattened at one side in 
the adaptation to the chronic faulty position, and 
one will have deformity of the backbone as a 
whole. 

It will easily be seen that when the muscles of 
the back are weak, and the ligaments about the 

1 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




Bring the head both downward and to one side as above. 
Bring first to the left side then to the right side, then diag- 
onally backward to each side. 

spinal column intended to keep the vertebrae in 
place relaxed, faulty positions will much more 
easily become chronic. That is why strength- 
building spine exercises and general back- 
strengthening efforts are important, in addition 
to the primary work of straightening the spine 
and securing flexibility. If one maintains good 
posture and a sufficient degree of vigor and 
strength in the muscles and ligaments of the 
back, one will have no difficulty in maintaining 
the health of the spine. 

8 



SPINE EXERCISES 




This is a circling movement of the head in which it is swung 

around and around with as much of a bend throughout the 

circle as possible. After a few rotations in one direction 

reverse and rotate in the other direction. 



There are many cases of seriously displaced 
vertebrae and spinal deformity which will need 
not only exercise, but also special adjustment by 
some one skilled in such work, such as an osteo- 
path or a chiropractic. One who possesses a normal 
spine, however, can keep it normal by the proper 
exercise, and even where there are marked 
tendencies to spinal curvature and displacement 
of vertebrae many of the simple spine-stretching, 
spine-bending, and spine-twisting exercises 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 



'M 




which we are illustrating 
will have great corrective 
value. 

It may be said, too, that 
mechanical adjustments 
are not usually sufficient 
in themselves. The ad- 
justed vertebrae always 
have a tendency to slip 
back to their old faulty 
positions, partly because 
of muscular tension. 
Therefore, if one supple- 
ments the mechanical ad- 
justment treatment at the 
hands of a specialist by 
exercises for stretching, 
straightening and 
strengthening the spine, 
such as are illustrated 
here, its effects are more 
likely to be permanent. 

There is no doubt that 
nutrition has a very pro- 
nounced effect on pos- 
ture. A poorly nourish- 
ed individual very easily 
acquires a stooped posi- 

This is a simple stretching exercise which may be performed 
first with both hands together and then with each hand sepa- 
rately. Stretch one arm as high upward as possible and 
stretch downward with the other arm. This is particularly 
effective in its influence upon the dorsal spine. 
10 



SPINE EXERCISES 



tion. It is perhaps 
in part due to faulty 
nutrition in old age 
that the bending of 
the spine is such a 
notable characteristic 
of this period of life. 
I am told that Dr. 
Charles Fleck, an 
osteopath who has 
been treating French 
children orphaned by 
the war, has found in 
many of them the 
stooping posture that 
is so characteristic of 
old age. They do not 
have normal mobility 
of the chest, perhaps 
only a half-inch chest 
expansion. Dr. Fleck 
regards this as the 
result of poor nutri- 
tion. It may also be 
due, in large part, to 
shock and other de- 
pressing influences. 
If one feels well and 
happy, one holds 

Try to arrange a bar or other support by means of which you 
can suspend the body full length from the hands, as in this 
photograph. In some cases the top of the door sash will serve 
for the purpose. This suspended position is an admirable 
one for stretching the spine uniformly. 

It 




MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

oneself up and carries oneself better. When 
children were brought from the areas where they 
had been under bombardment, and had seen 
people killed and wounded about them, they had 
a characteristic facial expression which was only 
corrected by some months of exercise and special 
treatment. It is, therefore, not surprising that 
they should have been unable to maintain their 
normal carriage. 

I have made special reference to the import- 
ance of flexibility and elasticity in the spine, 
pointing out that this mobility is essential to 
good circulation both in the spinal cord and 
sympathetic nerve ganglia. Now one of the 
best all-around tests of spinal mobility is found 
in chest mobility. Can you expand your chest, 
or are your ribs stiff and immovable? I will tell 
you why this is important, at least so far as the 
dorsal vertebrae are concerned. It is because the 
twelve pairs of ribs are attached to these twelve 
dorsal vertebrae, and the amount of movement 
in the ribs is a good indication of the condition 
of the spine. If you can expand your chest only 
a half -inch, or in other words, if your ribs are 
stiff and immovable, it means that your spine is 
stiff and immovable. And to that extent your 
spine is old. 

You are, perhaps, not a "chesty'^ kind of in- 
dividual. You have worn a tight-fitting vest for 
twenty to forty years, which makes it difficult to 
expand your chest. You have worn suspenders 
which press down upon your chest on each side, 

12 




k- 







Hanging by one hand is not only a spine stretcher but is 
conducive to flexibility as well. This exercise is corrective 
of lateral spinal curvature. For instance, a curvature to the 
left side accomipanied by a condition in which the right 
shoulder is lower than the left, will be corrected by fre- 
quently hanging in this manner by the right arm, and vice- 
versa. 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




This exercise is for the small of the back and the lumbar 

spine. Bend and stretch far forward with the knees straight. 

If you cannot touch the floor as illustrated, then stretch as 

far as you can without strain. 

14 



SPINE EXERCISES 




This IS probably the best spine-twisting exercise for the 
dorsal and lumbar spine. Standing with the feet apart and 
arms extended, stretch the right arm far to the left and over 
the left foot, as illustrated. Then reverse, stretching the 
left arm beyond and over the right foot, repeating five or ten 

times. 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

and this pressure is just sufficient to act as a 
continuous deterring influence, even if you were 
inclined to expand your chest, which you are not. 
Therefore, perhaps in years, you may not have 
really expanded your chest to its limit. 

And yet, that is just what you ought to do every 
day. Not simply for the sake of improving your 
chest and giving room for your heart and lungs, 
but for the sake of your spine. Cultivate the 
chest-expansion habit. Practice deep breathing 
with it if you choose, and that makes it all the 
better, but also expand your chest for the sake 
of your backbone. 

It is this stiffness which you must fight off, if 
you would keep young. To a large extent, the 
really old man finds it impossible to straighten 
his spine. It is stiff, rigid. Just bringing his 
shoulders back does not give him normal mobili- 
ty. He may try to straighten his spine, and 
it is a good thing for him to do so, but if he is 
really a very old man, he cannot do it. 

It is no wonder that men and women become 
old, and settle down, and get crusty and **stiff- 
necked" (literally and figuratively). They do 
not take exercises that move their spinal joints. 
They do not "loosen" up their spinal joints, or 
any of their other joints. If you have already be- 
gun to acquire this condition of stiffness, take 
warning. Right about face ! Go to work now — 
at once — and strive for flexibility and elasticity 
in every part, but especially in your spine. Prac- 
tice the exercises which are illustrated for this 

16 



SPINE EXERCISES 




This is a body-circling or rotating exercise for 
the entire spine. Bend from the small of the 
back as much as possible and circle the body 
around, first in one direction and then in the 
other, five or ten times each way. 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




This is a spine loosener and flexibility exercise. Getting 
down on all fours, move around in as small a circle as possi- 
ble, after the manner of a cat chasing its tail. Bend the 
body as much as possible. 

purpose. If very stiff, spinal manipulation by a 
skilled operator can be recommended. But un- 
less there is special need for the adjustment of 
displaced vertebrae, the exercises which are pre- 
sented will answer your requirements. 

One of the most valuable means of expanding 
the lungs and stimulating and stretching the 
spine is found in the following exercise: 

18 



SPINE EXERCISES 




Turning sommersaults in this manner is a favorite diversion 
with young children. It will help to keep your spine just 
as young as theirs. It is a spine loosener and flexibility pro- 
moter, as well as a means of spinal massage. Use a mat, soft 
rug, or grassy lawn. 



/ 



Stand erect with the feet a few inches apart. 
Hold the hands far forward, and bend the knees 
as far as possible, keeping the heels on the floor 
and going downward until the knees strike 
against the chest. Just before reaching the ex- 
treme limit of the movement, allow the head to 
fall forward with a snap or jerk. The muscles of 
the neck must be entirely relaxed to accomplish 
this. 

Take the same exercise after drawing in a deep 

19 



M2[KING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

BreatK — sl^ much as you can inhale, retaimng 
the breath while making a complete movement. 
Then try to inhale additional breath and repeat 
the exercise again. Continue in this manner 
until you have drawn in asr much air as possible, 
after which exhale the breath. Now breathe 
fully and deeply several times and then repeat 
the process as described. You should become 
iable to go through the movement from six to 
fifteen times before exhaling the breath. 

The main idea in this exercise is to force the 
spine backward into the proper position by 
filling the chest with air and thereby distending 
the abdominal cavity, and at the same time to 
stretch it. To accomplish this latter object to 
the best possible advantage, the weight should 
fall to the floor with as much rapidity as possible, 
bringing the knees onto the chest with a motion 
somewhat in the nature of a jerk. The falling 
forward of the head stretches the spine to the 
lumbar region (the small of the back), and its 
effect is accentuated by the unusual fullness of 
the chest and abdominal cavity. 

In taking this exercise you must at first be very 
careful to avoid strain. Don't attempt to drop 
to the squatting position too quickly till the 
muscles become strong and elastic. 



20 



LESSON IV 
Mechanical Spine Stretching and Straightening 

THE importance of straightening the spine 
and of cultivating flexibility we have already- 
considered. 

The value of stretching as a factor in making 
the spine both straight and flexible should also 
be especially emphasized. 

If you have somehow strained your hands and 
developed a kink in one of your knuckles, putting 
the finger joint a little out of place, what do you 
do ? You take hold of that finger with the other 
hand and you stretch it. You give it a good 
steady pull, stretching^ all the ligaments, and 
when you let go the joint goes back into its 
proper place and everything is all fixed, except 
perhaps for a little tenderness due to the strain. 

If your shoulder joint is dislocated, you go to 
the doctor. What does he do with it? Does he 
give it a twist and a push in order to put it back 
into place? Or does he give the arm a good, 
steady pull, stretching it into a position from 
which, when the strain is relaxed, it will go back 
into its normal position? Perhaps you never 
had a dislocated shoulder. Nevertheless, you 
may know that the correct method of setting 
practically all dislocated joints is the stretching 
process described. 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




This is a loop prepared with heavy tape into 
which the feet may be hooked and held in con- 
junction with the succeeding spine-stretching 
movements. 
22 



SPINE STRAIGHTENING 




v cm 
*«-^. (3 « 



W^ CO 

to© 3 



23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Now precisely the same principle applies to 
the joints of the spine. The stretching of the 
spinal column is corrective and helpful as a 
means of restoring any displaced vertebrae to a 
normal position. 

The important thing for present consideration 
is the fact that stretching is not only corrective, 
but is of the greatest possible value in keeping 
the spine normal and the ligaments elastic, strong 
and alive. 

Stretching will also help to keep the cartilages 
in their normal cushiony and elastic condition. 
As we have seen, the weight of the body, being 
supported by these cartilages between the spinal 
vertebrae, tends to flatten them. If they can be 
relieved from this pressure, they will tend to ex- 
pand and recover their normal dimensions. The 
recumbent position naturally supplies this relief 
and rest. 

Were it not for the horizontal position assumed 
in sleep for many hours out of each twenty-four, 
the cartilages of the spine would probably be- 
come hopelessly depressed, flattened and harden- 
ed. But you can see at once how much more 
effective will be this relief and the restorative 
effect of the rest, if a certain amount of stretching 
is applied as well. 

Now all voluntary stretching exercises per- 
formed by the use of the muscles of the body 
are of the very greatest value for this purpose. 
There is nothing that will take the place of such 
voluntary stretching movements. At the same 

24 



SPINir STRAIGHTENING 




These two photographs represent a head harness and a pad 
or collar made with an ordinary bath towel, to be used in 
the spine-stretching exercises shown in the subsequent pho- 
tographs. The heavy towel acts as a pad for the adjust- 
ment of the head-gear shown. 
25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




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26 



SPINE STRAIGHTENING 

time, to obtain the best results, external help is 
also necessary. 

As a general thing, any sturdy and vigorous 
child of two or three years of age will enjoy being 
picked up by the head, providing one lifts him 
gently. Perhaps most parents are fearful that 
by such handling they will break the child's neck, 
or otherwise injure him. As a matter of fact, it 
is very probable that the stretching of the child's 
upper spine will be beneficial. If there are any 
imperfections or slight subluxations of the back- 
bone, this lifting by the head would tend to cor- 
rect them. It is, of course, not a "stunt" to be 
indulged in too freely with a child of delicate 
make-up. A baby who has never had proper 
exercise may have very weak muscles and liga- 
ments. In such a case a procedure of this kind 
is not to be forced upon it. At the same time 
there is a virtue in this spine-stretching method. 
That the weight of the adult body is not too great 
for the neck has been demonstrated by many 
vaudeville and circus performers who hang by 
the teeth. Such circus acts usually consist of 
some feat in which the performer is whirled 
about in a circle, often incredibly fast.. The Cen- 
trifugal force developed by the circular swinging 
action places a strain upon the jaw and upon the 
neck of the performer which is probably many 
times greater than his mere body weight. So far 
as I know, these performers enjoy the very best 
health and the greatest possible vitality — so long 
asl they escape accidents and survive. 

27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




28 



SPINE STRAIGHTENING 




This is an even more effective and strenuous spine-stretching 
treatment, using the same apparatus with the rope passed 
over the top of a door, a bar, or any other convenient fix- 
ture. Do not attempt to suspend the entire weight of the 
body in this way — at least not at first. In all of these exer- 
cises care must be used to avoid strain. 
29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Upon this principle the ancient and honored 
practice of hanging by the neck — the nomination 
for which is not widely sought after by our best 
citizens — ^might be most healthful, were it not 
that it happens to be a little too hard on the neck ! 
Unfortunately, the subject is allowed to drop a 
number of feet before the suspension of the body 
is suddenly and jerkingly accomplished. Fur- 
thermore, there is an ugly knot placed just at the 
point where it is likely to cause a displacement 
of the cervical or neck vertebrae such that no 
osteopath could repair it. But if one could be 
gently adjusted in this suspended position with- 
out jerk or strain, then hanging would be a most 
healthful diversion, although perhaps a little too 
strenuous for some of us. 

The principle, however, of mechanical stretch- 
ing in a gentler manner, is none the less valuable. 
When put into practice according to some of the 
methods suggested and illustrated herewith it 
should be of the greatest value. These mechani- 
cal stretching methods should not, as we have 
said, take the place of voluntary muscular 
stretching exercises, but should be used in con- 
junction with them. 

No violent strain should be used in the begin- 
ning. As in most other things, it is always well 
to make haste slowly, using gentle measures first 
and only gradually increasing the vigor and 
amount of stretching. 



30 



Making Old 
Bodies li)i[]iNG 

Ghirty -Eight Cessons 
m Building Vital itij 
and Neroe Force and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inq 

Old c4ae ^ ^ .^ 

Cessans 

S, 6 and 7 

Beinan Macfadden 



Copyright 19 19 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU57000: 



lxV'34/ 



LESSON V 

Strengthening the Back and Backbone 

YOU may have noticed that men of great 
vitality are invariably possessed of strong 
backs and good full necks. A strong back seems 
to be associated with vital strength and long life. 

This is true, probably, not only on account of 
the mere muscular strength associated with such 
a development, but because this muscular 
strength and the general vigor that goes with it 
mean a better and straight er backbone. The vig- 
orous development of the back and neck insures 
stability of the spine and prevents it from becom- 
ing improperly bent or injured in the general 
affairs of life. The loosely hung, weak back of 
the undeveloped man indicates, on the contrary, 
that there is not a sufficient muscular support for 
the many joints of the spinal column, and in 
such a case it is very easy for the vertebrae to 
become displaced and other spinal imperfections 
to develop. 

Therefore, next to exercises for straightening 
the spine and cultivating flexibility, strength- 
building exercises are of the greatest value. 

After all, the spinal column does not stand by 
itself. Take the spine out of the body, discon- 
nect it from all the ligaments and muscles which 
surround it, and then try to stand it up by itself, 
and you will find that it will simply bend over 

3 




This is an exercise for every muscle of the back at the same 
time. Clasping the hands, bring them back and away from 
the body, bending and arching the small of the back and 
drawing the head back as far as possible. The more mJental 
effort you use in this exercise, the more effective it becomes. 
Make the effort for perhaps two or three seconds, then relax 
and repeat five or ten times. 
4 




This is a back-strengthening exercise in which you may 
exert as much or as little strength as you choose, depending 
upon the mental effort. Clasping the hands over the knee 
as illustrated, pull downward with the leg and upward with 
the arms, the arm pull of course being accomplished by the 
back muscles. Repeat three to five times with each leg. 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




For strengthening the back this bending movement with a 
little added resistance in the form of a fiat iron, or some 
other weight, will be effective. Do not try to lift big weights. 
Repeat the movement only a few times. Lower the weight 
in front of the body as shown, then lift it high above the head. 

6 



STRENGTHENING THE BACK 

as limp as a willow, or even fall to pieces. It is 
only by means of the muscles and ligaments at- 
tached to it that the spinal column can be held 
properly erect. Naturally, therefore, unless you 
possess an unusual amount of natural strength in 
these muscles and ligaments, you will require 
exercise for the building of such strength. 

It should be understood that in order to ac- 
quire an easy and perfect carriage, one requires 
more than just enough strength to be able to 
stand up. No one has strength enough until 
he has more than enough, for a measure of sur- 
plus strength is necessary in order that the pur- 
p®se for which it is intended may be accomplish- 
ed easily. 

It does not take much strength to be just able 
to walk, and yet no one can walk well unless 
he has a surplus of strength. If he has the energy 
and the power to be able to run and jump, then 
he will have the surplus of energy that will make 
walking easy, and that will enable him to walk 
well and far without becoming fatigued. 

If you have just enough strength to enable you 
to hold your head up, you will quickly become 
fatigued; but if you have a strong back and a 
good neck development, you will find that it is no 
effort to hold yourself erect and that you will 
carry yourself well. 

Any young man should have enough strength 
in his back to be able to hold up and carry another 
man of his own weight without any difficulty. 
This should not be found an unusual or strenu- 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




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MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




10 



STRENGTHENING THE BACK 

ous effort. It is really only a fraction of what 
any really strong man can accomplish. And yet 
even the small amount of strength required to 
stand erect while supporting the weight of 
another man will be sufficient to enable one to 
stand erect by oneself without tiring. This should 
really apply at a time of life long past what we 
usually call middle age. Farmer Burns, the 
famous wrestler and one-time world champion, 
v/ho is now not far from sixty years of age, 
is still capable of holding his own in many feats 
with younger athletes in the prime of condition. 
Indeed in a large number of tests and contests, 
Mr. Burns actually excels many of the younger 
wrestlers with whom he comes in contact. I cite 
this merely to show the possibilities of bodily 
vigor in men of fifty-seven years and up. 

In short, strength of the muscles of the back 
and ligaments will make good posture easy. You 
cannot stand up, or sit up properly, if these 
muscles are fatigued, and if the ligaments are 
weak and relaxed. If your back is weak and 
the muscles easily fatigued, you will do just what 
so many persons actually do — you will droop. 
Your back will bend, and instead of standing up 
erect, you will simply "hang over." It is on this 
account that even though you may neglect phy- 
sical exercises for the development of all other 
parts of the body, you should persistently give 
attention to exercises for the back. Neglect 
everything else if you must, but give a certain 
part of your time each day to keeping the back 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

strong and vigorous, and preserving, in a perfect, 
straight, elastic and normal condition, the marv- 
elous structure which is, practically, the founda- 
tion of the bodily organism. 



12 



LESSON VT 
Long- Life Sitting Posture 

WE have already discussed the requirements 
of good posture in standing and walking. 
We have seen how necessary it is to keep the 
spinal column in an erect, normal position. 

But a correct sitting position is, in most cases, 
even more important, for the reason that a large 
portion of people spend the greater part of their 
time sitting down. This is especially true among 
those of advanced age. The first thing a man 
who "feels old" wishes to do is to sit down. It is 
really too much sitting, in most cases, that makes 
him old. In any case, one should see to it that 
the posture one assumes in sitting does not 
tend to deform the spine. 

And yet that is just what the ordinary sitting 
posture is best calculated to accomplish. When 
one thinks of the entire world sitting down im- 
properly, upon badly constructed seats, one 
wonders that our backbones are not far worse 
than they are. 

The great fault lies really with our chairs. The 
chair is such a commonplace object that no one 
has ever seemed to think that it was necessary to 
use any intelligence, or thought, in planning its 
construction. The chair is intended for rest, to 
relieve the strain one experiences while standing. 
And yet practically all of our chairs are so made 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOtJNG 

that it IS utterly impossible to be comfortable in 
them, or on them. They are made so as to put 
an abnormal strain upon the back. Even a big, 
cushiony, "easy" chair is almost as badly design- 
ed and as uncomfortable as the stiffest sitting 
accommodations of the office, the church and 
the school-room. 

One would think that a chair would be built 
according to the requirements of the human 
body, that it would be so constructed as to eon- 
form to the normal curves of the spine. If the 
chair-back has any purpose whatever, it is to 
support comfortably the back of the person sit- 
ting on the chair, and to do this it should fit into 
the small of the back. Instead of this, however, 
the chair-back comes in contact with a man's 
body up in the region of the shoulders in such 
a way that he cannot possibly maintain a normal 
spinal posture without continuous muscular ten- 
sion; and the purpose of sitting down is to re- 
lieve one of just such muscular tension and 
strain. 

A chair with a low back, extending upward 
not more than ten or twelve inches and fitting 
into the small of the back would be ideal. But if 
a high back is desired on the chair, it should be 
"tailored" to fit the normal curves of the spine. 

Another common defect of the average chair is 
the level seat ; in other words, the seat is parallel 
with the floor. Because of this, the individual 
sitting on the chair, if he attempts to lean back, 
find himself sliding forward, and cannot remain 

14 



LONG LIFE SITTING POSTURE 




An ideal sitting position is secured by sitting well back 
on the chair and having support at the small of the back 
rather than at the shoulders. An ordinary chair can b€ 
jmade to "fit the back" if a pillow is fastened at the right 
height, as in the photograph. 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

on the seat without continuous muscular tension 
and the bracing of his feet upon the floor in front 
of him. In this posture the body seems to hang, 
so to speak, between the shoulders and the seat 
of the chair, tending to reverse the normal for- 
ward curve in the small of the back. This is inev- 
itably followed by the prolapsus of the lower 
abdominal organs. 

The reason a rocking-chair is usually more 
comfortable than a straight chair is not so much 
that it rocks as that the seat inclines backward 
and downward. This enables one to relax when 
sitting down, because there is no tendency to- 
ward sliding forward and "coasting" entirely off 
the chair. For this reason the much criticized 
masculine habit of tipping a chair up on the two 
back legs is a source of real comfort, and is phy- 
siologically justified. For this reason also the 
swivel office chair that tilts back is a source of 
comfort and relaxation, even though it may not 
be ideal from the standpoint of good spinal post- 
ure. To get the same kind of comfort without 
tipping the chair it is only necessary to shorten 
the hind legs. Saw off an inch and a half of the 
back legs of any chair that you wish to experi- 
ment with, and you will at once notice an enorm- 
ous difference in the comfort you get from it. 
By placing a block of wood under the forward 
legs the same result can be obtained. 

These small devices will not, however, satisfy 
the requirements of the spine. This must be 
done either by having a chair specially made to 

16 



LONG LIFE SITTING POSTURE 




Office chairs with low backs are now being made much more 

satisfactory for good sitting posture than formerly, giving 

support to the small of the back rather than to the shoulders. 

The chair-back in this photograph is a little bit too high. 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




This is a favorite American sitting position, conducive to 
cramped chests, round shoulders, bent spine, prolapsed organs 
and general ill-health. This faulty position may be blamed 
largely upon our badly made chairs, for one naturally tends 
to slide down into this position when sitting on a chair of this 
construction. . (See next photo.) 

conform to your own spinal anatomy, or by 
building out the chair back with a pad, or a pil- 
low, or other support, in such a way that it will fit 
into the small of your back when you sit down. 
Of course, one should be able to sit erect and 
in a healthful position on any bench, tree stump, 
or chair. For instance, when at work at a desK 

18 



LONG JLIFE SITTING POSTURE 

one does not desire to lean or loll back. Any 
chair or seat will be suitable for such purposes, 
and will permit one to maintain the erect spinal 
position of standing or walking. In this erect sit- 
ting posture the head should be well up, the 
chest raised, the curve of the small of the back 
well marked. This will give you something in 
the nature of a military bearing while seated, and 
this is the correct attitude to assume when sitting 
up, without using the back of the chair, whether 
for active work, or for any other purpose. 

To secure this military and erect position when 
"sitting up" one may adopt the same movements 
which I have suggested for attaining a good 
standing posture. In other words, vitolysing, or 
the clasping of the hands behind the head with 
the elbows and head brought backward, will give 
you the military bearing. 

But since one usually sits down to rest, most 
chairs should be so constructed that it is possible 
to do this and at the same time preserve a normal 
position of the spine. The seat, therefore, should 
have a downward, backward incline of at least 
twelve or fifteen degrees. In other words, the 
back of the seat should be at least a couple of 
inches lower than the front edge. In addition to 
this, the chair-back should either be not more 
than ten or twelve inches in height, so as to fit 
well into the small of the back, or, if higher, there 
should be a pad, or comfortable pillow, at the part 
which meets the small of the back, of a thickness 
sufficient to counterbalance the normal curve, 

19 




This illustrates how an "easy chair" may be made truly easy 
and at the same time hygienic in so far as good sitting posture 
is concerned. The downward backward incline of the seat 
may be accomplished either by elevating the front legs as 
shown, or by sawing off the back legs. In this position one 
does not slide forward on the seat. A narrow pillow is sup- 
plied to fit the small of the back. This position gives comfort, 
dignity, and health. 
20 



LONG LIFE SITTING POSTURE 

which will vary with different individuals. This 
will permit you to sit down to rest, and at the 
same time to keep the chest expanded, the head 
well up and the abdominal region free from ten- 
sion or strain. 

Inasmuch as you naturally hope to live a great 
many decades, it is to be expected that you will 
spend a total of a great many years sitting down. 
On this account, you should give very careful 
consideration to these suggestions, and see to 
it that your sitting posture is all that may be 
required for the best spinal health. 



2t 



LESSON vn 

Longevity and the Sleeping Position 

IF good posture counts for anything in its rela- 
tion to maintaining a normal spine, a good 
sleeping position is certainly important. 

One spends approximately one-third of one's 
life in sleep. A total of twenty-five or thirty 
years spent in an improper and unhealthf ul sleep- 
ing position must have a seriously detrimental ef- 
fect upon the spine. 

Take a case of lateral spinal curvature, for in- 
stance. This may be due very largely to the 
habit of sleeping on one side. The real points of 
support in such a case are at the hips, and at or 
about the shoulders. The spinal column is sus- 
pended between these points, and in the case of 
one who is weak or undernourished, especially in 
the case of a "rickety" child, continued sleeping 
on one side is conducive to spinal curvature 
merely through the weight of the body. To turn 
over and sleep on the other side will tend to 
correct the curvature, again merely through the 
weight of the body. Simple as it is, a case of 
this kind is a good example of the value of a 
little consideration of the subject. 

Perhaps the most common of wrong sleeping 
positions, however, is that in which the body 
rests upon the back, with a large pillow under the 
head. This naturally pushes the head forward, 

22 



THE SLEEPING POSITION 

and is conducive to a permanently bent spine 
and round shoulders. If one is accustomed to 
sleeping on the back, or if this is the favorite or 
predominating position during sleep, the pillow 
should by all means be dispensed with. Sleeping 
on the back on a flat surface without a pillow, 
would be conducive to good spinal position, but 
the position is undesirable for other reasons. 

Curiously, man is the only animal that at- 
tempts to sleep on the back, the habit being 
largely the result of training during infancy. 
Mothers almost invariably place their babies on 
their backs to sleep, and in the beginning, the 
infant is unable to change its position. After 
reaching the age of one or two years, however, 
a large number of children spontaneously turn 
over and sleep on the chest. The truth is that 
sleeping on the stomach is just as natural for 
the human race as for any other form of life, 
and those who have tried it have usually found 
it the most comfortable position. 

When sleeping on the stomach, the head is 
naturally turned to one side. We will suppose, 
for instance, that the head is turned to the right 
side. In that case, the left arm either lies straight 
on the left side of the body, or it may be doubled 
up at a right angle with the hand and wrist under 
the waistline. Comfort is usually found with 
the right hand up near the face. When sleep- 
ing on the stomach it does not matter materially 
whether one has a pillow or not, but a small 
pillow is, if anything, advantageous, as it forces 

23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




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24 



THE SLEEPING POSITION 



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25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the upper part of the spine upward and back- 
ward, and is, therefore, corrective of any round- 
shouldered tendency. Sleeping in this position 
will tend to correct a drooping and faulty posture 
during one's waking hours. 

When sleeping on the side a pillow is necessary 
for comfort. This may be a fairly healthful and 
comfortable position, providing one does not be- 
come too much doubled' up. It is a habit with 
many of those who sleep on the side, especially 
in cold weather, to double the head forward, 
double the knees up, huddlingl together in a 
greatly cramped position. The result of this 
drooping and contracting of the chest is to 
make free breathing difficult or impossible, and 
consequently there is a lack of air just at the 
time when a plentiful supply of air is most need- 
ed. The recuperative and restorative processes 
of sleep are naturally dependent, in part, upon a 
sufficient supply of oxygen. 

The chest-lying position is extremely valuable 
for the reason that the body is naturally turned 
very slightly to one side or the other, depending 
upon which side the face is turned to. In this 
way the abdominal region is suspended in such 
a way that deep, full, abdominal breathing is 
easily practiced. Since diaphragmatic or abdo- 
minal breathing is the only form of breathing 
used during sleep, it can be seen that this posi- 
tion is particularly advantageous. 

With the suggestions given here, the reader 
should make a study of his own sleeping position 

2^ 



THE SLEEPING POSITION 




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27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




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28 



THE SLEEPING POSITION 

and of his own requirements. Find out if you 
have any form of spinal curvature, and then 
adapt your sleeping posture so that the weight of 
the body itself will naturally tend to correct this 
curvature. If one shoulder is higher than the 
other, the curvature naturally extending to the 
other side, sleep on the side of the lower shoulder. 
If you are round-shouldered sleep without a pil- 
low when lying on the back, and with a pillow 
when lying on the stomach. These suggestions 
are simplicity itself, but they are worth the most 
careful consideration and practice. 



29 



Making Ol© 
Bodies IfbuNG 

Qhirty -EiQht Cessans 
m Building Vitahtq 
and Neroewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponina 
Old c4qe _^ -^ „^ / 

Cesson 

8 

Beinair Macfadden 



Part Two 

Exercise and Keeping Young 

Comprising Lessons Eight to Twelve 

VIII General Exercises for Postponing Old Age, 
IX Exercises For the Heart in Later Life. 
X Keeping the Endurance of Youth. 
XI Breathing to Keep Young. 

XII Massage, 



©CI.A570003 






LESSON VIII 
General Exercises for Postponing Old Age 

IT has often been said that it is better to wear 
out than to rust out. The great truth is that 
one will rust out more quickly than one will 
wear out. 

A state of activity is the normal characteristic 
of youth. Inactivity is a characteristic of ex- 
treme old age. This is true in all forms of animal 
life. The old dog, worn out and stiffened, seems 
as little disposed to the healthy activity of his 
early years as the old gentleman who has made 
up his mind that he is old and who does little 
tut sit around and occupy space. 

One may even say that just as soon as one 
discontinues the activities of life one rapidly be- 
comes old. The only way in which you can re- 
main young in spite of the years is by keeping up 
the activity that is characteristic of normal 
youth, or something approaching it. You may 
not be quite as spry and as nimble in certain 
respects, but to discontinue all physical activity 
will necessarily bring about rapid degeneration. 

Apart from exercises of a systematic nature, 
all kinds of outdoor recreations and occupations 
will be of infinite value. Gardening affords the 
most delightful possibilities in the way of inter- 
esting and beneficial activity, and there are many 
farm duties which exactly fit the status of men 
who are no longer capable of violent exertion^ 

3 




Illustrating the general principle by which flexibility of the 
joints may be maintained. For counteracting a tendency 
toward stiffness of the joints the practice of bending and 
stretching them moderately each day will keep them supple 
and therefore young. Commencing with the fingers, bend 
each joint in all directions as far as it will go. After the 
£ngers, bend the wrists, then the elbows, shoulders, toes, 
ankles, knees and hips. 
4 



GENERAL EXERCISES 




Stretching all parts of the body not only affords strength-building 
exercise, but makes for suppleness. Stretch even to the fingertips with 

arms extended. 



OLD BODIES MADE YOUNG 




Tightly doubling the arms, wrists and fingers is a form of 

stretching. This should be part of the joint-flexing exercise 

for all parts already mentioned. 



GENERAL EXERCISES 

but who are still able to do useful and valuable 
work. Wood cutting with axe or saw can some- 
times be recommended. William E. Gladstone, 
called the "Grand Old Man of England," was 
accustomed to enjoy cross-country walks and 
wood chopping. His habit of chopping wood 
he continued late in life — not because he needed 
the wood, but because he needed the superb qual- 
ity of health which it helped him to maintain. 

In a general way, however, violent exercises 
are not appropriate for men much past middle 
age. Anything that is too strenuous or violent 
may result in strain at any time of life, but is 
more likely to do so after one passes the age of 
sixty or seventy. It is true that this will depend 
partly upon whether or not one has been ac- 
customed to physical exertion of a strenuous 
nature all one's life. A man accustomed all his 
life to athletics will find himself capable of with- 
standing strains which would be dangerous to 
one who has avoided physical activitiy, and 
whose tissues, therefore, have become soft, weak 
and brittle. 

Nevertheless it is true that as a general pro- 
position, moderation in exertion should be the 
keynote of physical training after middle age. 
The term "middle age" is a very elastic one. You 
may regard forty to forty-five as representing 
middle age, and you may feel yourself growing 
old from fifty years on, or you may regard the 
middle period of life as being from fifty to sixty- 
five years. 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




Tightly doubling up like a jackknife, as above, serves to 

stretch those tissues, muscles and ligaments which are not 

brought into action in ordinary extension stretching. Double 

yourself up as tightly as you can several times. 

There is no doubt that the period of middle- 
aged vigor, energy and all-around ability in some 
cases extends far beyond the Biblical age limit of 
three score years and ten. But whatever your 
interpretation of the meaning of "middle age," 
it is best, if you are unmistakably past your 
youth, to observe moderation in the quality of 
your exercise, and to make up for it, if necessary, 
in quantity. 

In preceding chapters we have seen that the 
more important exercises in advanced years are 
those which tend to keep the spine straight, flexi- 
ble and normal. But in addition to the essential 
spine exercises described there should be daily 
exercise for the rest of the body. 

8 



GENERAL EXERCISES 




MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




10 



GENERAL EXERCISES 




II 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

The ideal exercises for extreme age are 
those which make for flexibility. An elastic con- 
dition of all the tissues and of the joints of the 
body is important, just as flexibility is of primary 
importance in the backbone. This is not merely 
because of the value of being able to bend the 
joints to the limit, but because of what it means 
in relation to the circulation and the health of 
the tissues generally. 

To keep these tissues as much alive as possible, 
one must keep them supple and elastic. All 
kinds of stretching and bending exercises calcu- 
lated to promote this necessary flexibility are 
most important for those who would avoid grow- 
ing old. You should maintain mobility, or the 
possibility of free motion with every joint and 
every movable part of your anatomy. Quite the 
best way to do this is to stretch every part thor- 
oughly at least once each day and bend every 
to the limit. Such stretching and bending move- 
ments should be applied, if possible, even to the 
fingers and toes. 

The exercises illustrated should suggest a series 
of movements for the purpose. These photo- 
graphs will show clearly the plan upon which 
these exercises are based, together with their 
purpose. You should make a study of your own 
requirements and plan your own scheme of ex- 
ercise. You will see that you will be able to ap- 
ply this principle to every movement and to 
every part of the body. 

An excellent method of procedure is to start 

12 



GENERAL' EXERCISES 




13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




14 



GENERAL EXERCISES 

with the finger tips. First stretch the arms far 
out to the sides and stretch the fingers out. Then 
proceed to bend or double up the fingers fist like, 
in such a way as to put the greatest possible 
stress upon the joints, that is, bending each joint 
of the finger to the fullest extent possible. After 
a few **loosening up" movements of the fingers 
and thumb joints, you can take the next step by 
proceeding to the wrist. The wrist will naturally 
lend itself to bending up and down and to a re- 
volving motion. Next, proceed to the elbows, 
first stretching the arms, then bending them until 
they are as tightly doubled up as possible. You 
will next come to the neck, then to the trunk of 
the body, then to the hips, to the knees, to the 
ankles, and finally to the toes. On reaching the 
trunk use special exercises for the spine, select- 
ing from those illustrated in preceding chapters 
such as your study of your own case shall have 
determined to be the most suited to your re- 
quirements. 

It is always best to build up your own scheme 
of training rather than to foUow too rigidly the 
instructions of another. You may find it advan- 
tageous however, to follow some such scheme of 
general exercise as I have suggested, combined 
wuth any movements that you may have found 
especially adapted to your needs. 



15 



Making Old 
Bodies IrbuNG 

Ohirty Eight Cessans 
m Building Vitalitij 
and Neroewrce and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inq 

Cessans 

9,10 
and 11 

Beinair Macfadden 



Copyright 1919 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CLA5700().{] 



/^-^ I 






LESSON rx 

Exercises for the Heart in Later Life 

THERE has been a tremendous sacrifice of 
men of middle age in recent years. Statis- 
tics have shown that the death rate among men 
in the neighborhood of fifty to fifty-five years of 
age has more than doubled in the last thirty 
years. Degenerative diseases of the arteries, kid- 
neys, the heart and the liver are responsible for 
this increased mortality among men of this age. 

It is just at this time of life thac the average 
man really becomes most valuable to the com- 
munity. At least, this applies to professional 
men and brain workers. When men die off at 
this age it means the loss of the best brain power 
in the community, for they have reached the 
period at which they are able to do better work 
than ever before. 

Now these degenerative diseases are very 
largely the result of the stagnation and inactivity 
of the average man. No man who takes a proper 
amount of exercise, who does not overeat, and 
who does not tax* his system with alcohol or dis- 
sipation, will develop these degenerative diseases 
at this early time of life. The condition of kid- 
ney failure, or liver hardening, or heart failure, 
or worn-out arteries, is not due for another thirty 
or forty years. These degenerative processes are 
merely old-age processes that have turned up too 
soon. 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

A man may be in many respects the picture 
of health, and yet certain parts of his working 
machine may be worn out. This wearing-out 
process can be prevented by proper habits and 
a normal amount of exercise. 

Ordinarily one may say that there should be a 
difference between the exercise a man should 
take after fifty, for instance, and that which he 
should take after the age of seventy, but this will 
also depend upon the individual. In England 
cross-country running has been a popular pas- 
time for many generations, and the middle-aged 
Englishman often takes as great an interest in 
it as a boy. In many cases it happens that a 
father will start in the same race with his son. 
This only goes to show that the man who has 
kept up athletic activity, or continued to take 
more or less exercise, may be able after fifty 
to pursue the same activities as in youth. But 
unless he has done this, there is a possibility of 
strain through attempting unaccustomed exer- 
cise. It is better to be safe than sorry. There- 
fore, in most cases, the man of fifty should con- 
fine himself, at least in the beginning, to exer- 
cises that would otherwise be appropriate for the 
man of seventy years or over. 

Before undertaking any form of physical train- 
ing it is advisable to have the heart examined. 
This does not mean that one must avoid all exer- 
cise if the examination of the heart is not favor- 
able. Even a weak heart may be strengthened in 
time, but an examination is a good precaution 

4 



EXERCISES FOR THE HEART 

against the possibility of making any violent ex- 
ertion when one is not fit for it. 

If there is any weakness in the heart, this will 
naturally prompt one to be very careful. But 
even if the heart seems normal from customary 
standpoints, there is still good reason to observe 
a measure of caution when first taking up physi- 
cal training, if you have been unaccustomed to 
exercise for a good many years. 

You must know that the heart, like other 
organs of the body, will adapt itself to the de- 
mands made upon it. A young man, on taking 
up athletics, goes through a course of "training" 
for the purpose of adapting the heart to sustain 
violent physical efforts. Under such exercises 
the heart seems to grow, strengthen and enlarge. 
Such an enlarged heart is often spoken of as the 
"athletic heart." This generally means that it is 
larger and stronger than the heart of the ordi- 
nary man, but not that it is abnormal or un- 
healthy. As a rule the athlete's heart is a far bet- 
ter heart than that of the non-athletic man, and 
extreme exertion in the case of the man who has 
not thus developed his heart may result in a 
strain of this organ. Remember that in long- 
distance running and other forms of athletics, it 
is really the heart that bears the greater part of 
the strain. One should not attempt such efforts 
without preparing for them first, thus gradually 
accustoming the system, and the heart especially, 
to the work. 

All this applies particularly in the case of men 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

over fifty, when, for a considerable part of their 
lives, they have neglected to take exercise. The 
heart never completely rests. It is at work every 
minute of one's life, but an inactive life means 
comparative rest for the heart, as compared with 
the demands of vigorous muscular work, or 
athletics. When a man has done nothing more 
strenuous than dress himself, feed himself, and 
walk about a little, for a period of many years, 
his heart is on a vacation so far as any strenuous 
exertion is concerned. Vigorous muscular work 
undertaken in such a case will have little injur- 
ious effect upon the muscles. It may make them 
stiif and sore, but this is of no consequence. 
But it may affect the heart seriously.„^ 

I am discussing this point iri^etail because it 
is of extreme importance. Enthusiasm is the 
finest thing in the world, but when one has taken 
up a program of unusual physical exercise, this 
enthusiasm is likely to carry one too far. Any 
plan of physical training that you may adopt, 
therefore, should be mapped out with a view to 
gradually increasing the amount of exercise 
taken. Don't walk too far the first day. Don't 
repeat your exercises too many times. Start in 
with the easier movements and leave the more 
difficult ones for a later period. 

Because of this necessity for avoiding any 
strain of the heart, exercises taken in a reclining 
position are often to be recommended. The mere 
act of lying down has the immediate effect of 
resting the heart, for physiological reasons. 

6 



EXERCISES FOR THE HEART 

The heart of the human being, like the human 
spine, is under more strain than the heart of any- 
other animal, because of man's upright position. 
As you know, the heart is simply a muscular 
pump. In a horizontal position, like that which 
is habitual in the lower forms of animal life, it 
is a simple matter for the heart to pump the 
blood through the arteries and veins. But man 
assumes the horizontal position only upon lying 
down. Upon resuming an upright position it is 
necessary for his heart to force the blood upward 
several feet to the height of the body. There 
must be such pressure upon the blood in the 
arteries as to force the blood in the veins from 
the feet all the way back up to the heart. The 
human heart, therefore, has a much bigger job 
on its hands than that of a dog, an alligator, or a 
lion. 

When the heart has been pumping a column 
of blood extending from the feet up to the heart, 
there is an immediate degree of rest for this cen- 
tral pumping station the moment one lies down. 
There is even a certain degree of rest for the 
heart when one is sitting down. 

There is one very restful and refreshing bodily 
position, dear to the hearts of all men, although 
much disapproved of by their better halves. 
This is the very agreeable, if unesthetic position 
of sitting down on a chair with the feet placed 
upon the table or desk. After all, the objection 
to this position is somewhat arbitrary. There is 
no question of the comfort it gives, and there are 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

physiological reasons for its restfulness. It af- 
fords rest for the heart, and also provides 
especially well for the drainage of the blood in 
the veins of the legs. In standing, these veins 
are crowded with blood which is being driven 
upward against the force of gravity, and are 
thus under considerable tension. This tension 
and strain is relieved immediately when the 
legs are raised so that the veins are easily drained 
through the same force of gravity. In the case 
of those suffering from varicose veins, this is 
especially important. Simple as it is, there is no 
other measure that will so quickly give relief. 
If you have been standing on your feet for a 
long time, you will find relief by simply lying 
down. But you will find it a great deal more 
refreshing if you place the feet upon the foot of 
the bed, or elevate them upon your desk or table, ' 
when sitting down. 

Coming back to the subject of exercises while 
lying down. It will be seen that inasmuch as the 
heart is relieved, in this position, of much of its 
ordinary labor, any muscular effort made in the 
recumbent state will involve less tax upon the 
heart than a similar one made while standing up. 
In other words, you can perform movements of 
the arms, of the legs, and of the trunk of the 
body when lying down, with a comparatively 
small effort on the part of your heart. 

Most of us will not need to be so careful as this, 
but I have gone into the point in order that 
even the weakest can find methods of developing 

8 



EXERCISES FOR THE HEART 

strength. In most cases, men who have lived 
to the age of sixty years or upward have pretty 
good hearts; otherwise, they would never have 
lived so long. Sixty years is a long stretch of 
time for one organ to continue working without 
a rest, so that even a weak heart must be a power- 
ful and truly marvelous mechanism. 

Make up your mind that you will not rust out. 
Remember that stagnation means degeneration. 
Activity is the fundamental principle of life. Be 
active and you will keep health. Stagnate and 
you will rust. 



9 



LESSON X 
Keeping the Endurance of Youth 

IF there is one supreme exercise for advanced 
age, an exercise that is more valuable than 
any other from a constituonal and health stand- 
point, it is walking. 

If there is one form .of activity in which an old 
man is capable of excelling a young man, it is 
walking. 

The history of pedestrianism is full of the 
names of men old in years, but young in body 
and spirit, who have exceeded the walking rec- 
ords of the younger men. In many cases where 
these men have been devoted to walking, or 
**hiking," as a recreation all their lives, it is a 
fact that they have often been able, in their later 
years, to exceed the long-distance records which 
they made early in life. 

This is notoriously true in the case of Edward 
Weston, the famous trans-continental walker. 
On his last trip from coast to coast, when past 
the age of seventy, he made faster time than he 
made over the same route early in life. The 
same is true of Dan O'Leary, another prominent 
long-distance walker. 

In the field of fast walking as against trans- 
continental trips, "Jim" Hocking, of New York 
City, is another extraordinary example of im- 

10 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 

proved endurance in middle age. For years 
Hocking has been making walking records be- 
tween New York City and Philadelphia, a dis- 
tance of one hundred miles. It has long been 
a popular pastime among pedestrians to attempt 
to walk this distance under twenty-four hours. 
It remained for Mr. Hocking to lower all records. 
For years he took this walk once each year. He 
first did it in twenty-four hours, then in twenty- 
three hours, then under twenty-two and finally 
in nineteen hours and sixteen minutes. Now 
that he is past sixty years of age, he is a better 
walker than ever. At sixty-two he walked from 
New York to Buffalo, 405 miles, in six days and 
four hours, averaging sixty-five miles a day. 

Recently he filed his entry for the Yonkers 
Marathon Race (Yonkers, N. Y., being a city 
composed chiefly of steep hills and valleys) 
among a field of more than forty runners. He 
had accounted for three-quarters of them and 
was striding along in the eleventh place when 
the race was called off, because of the unthankful 
nature of the Thanksgiving Day weather. 

These instances are illustrative of the well-es- 
tablished principle that while the young are capa- 
ble of greater temporary activity and more viol- 
ent effort than the old, yet in matters of endur- 
ance there often seems to be a distinct improve- 
ment with the advance of years. 

Upon this principle it may be assumed that it 
is a mistake for the young to attempt to perform 
feats of endurance. They are physiologically not 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 



im 


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M 


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James H. Hocking, a New York business man, superin-, 

tendent of The American Radiator Co. Walking is his 

hobby. He can do sixty to sixty-five miles daily, day after 

day. Photographed at the age of sixty-three. 

il2 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 

suited to long continued and uninterrupted ac- 
tivity. They are better fitted for more rapid or 
more lively action. In advanced years there is 
perhaps lessened flexibility, although there 
should not be and need not be too great a loss of 
elasticity. But there is a decided improvement in 
the powers of endurance. Accordingly, it is never 
to be marvelled at when a man of seventy walks 
fifteen or twenty miles, or even twice that dis- 
tance. It is just what is to be expected from the 
very nature of things. 

By keeping up exercise of this kind, one may 
not only maintain the endurance of youth after 
fifty or sixty, but may actually greatly improve 
upon it, as has been demonstrated again and 
again by some of these famous walkers, and by 
the example of hundreds of others who have 
never become famous. 

The reason why walking is such splendid exer- 
cise is because it results not so much in muscle- 
building as in an improvement of the constitu- 
tion. Walking means not so much exercise for 
the legs as exercise for the internal organs. It 
means exercise for the heart and lungs. It keeps 
one breathing deeply and fully, and through this 
deep breathing it means the more perfect oxy- 
genation of the blood. This means a greater 
cleanliness of every tissue and every cell in the 
body. Every internal organ in the body that has 
to do with the making of the blood, or with 
its purification, is put to extra work for a con- 
siderable period of time by a long walk. 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Every time you put your muscles to work you 
also exercise your internal organs. But there 
are some forms of exercise which are concerned 
chiefly with development of the muscles. Again 
there are exercises which do not accomplish much 
in building muscular strength, but which are 
especially concerned with huilding up the blood- 
making mechanism. Walking is an exercise of 
this type. It is "constitutional." The same ap- 
plies to hill climbing, golfing, and any form of 
exercise that involves what we call endurance. 

The word strength as ordinarily used means 
merely the capacity for temporary exertion, the 
degree of power that may be expended in a 
singe effort. But this is only one form of strength. 
It depends chiefly upon powerful muscles. But 
the capacity for repeated or continuous effort is 
equally a form of strength and is more important 
than the capacity for great temporary exertion. 
It depends more upon the condition and quality 
of the blood, and the health and vigor of the 
organs which supply, purify and oxygenate that 
blood, than upon muscular power. 

Exercises of endurance are pre-eminently, 
therefore, constitutional exercises, and are even 
more important than those that build muscular 
strength. Exercises of this sort are walking, 
horseback riding, golfing and cycling, and a cer- 
tain amount of such activity is necessary to the 
maintenance of a normal state of health and 
vigor. And do not forget that the best of these 
exercises is walking. 

14 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 




This is an example of Mr. Hocking's heel and toe stride. 

The photo explains why he is able to cover five* and six miles 

an hour, continuing hour after hour, 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

No one can deteriorate and die of degenerative 
disease in middle age, if he persistently exercises 
his internal structures by such constitutional ac- 
tivities. By this means he keeps the heart, lungs, 
liver, kidneys and all of the other organs of the 
body properly toned up, or tuned up, and there- 
by retains the healthy and generally vigorous 
condition characteristic of youth. 

Golfing is especially appropriate for men of 
middle age and upward. It necessitates a great 
deal of walking, and much of this walking is 
likely to be up and down hill. Walking up hill 
is, first of all, exercise for the heart, and serves 
as a general stimulant for all of the other organs 
that are concerned in any way with maintaining 
the quality and strength-building character of 
the blood. Added to this, there is a certain 
amount of real spine activity in the peculiar twist 
that accompanies the swing of the golf club. 
Golf would be a much better game if one had to 
hit the ball more often. It is good as it is, but it 
would help more effectively to take the kinks out 
of the spine and to keep it elastic if one had to 
do more "batting." It may be suggested, there- 
fore, that the golf player should practice the 
swing of the golf stick a great deal, even when 
he is not striking at the ball itself. It is good 
for the backbone as well as helpful in maintain- 
ing suppleness of the joints and muscles gen- 
erally. 

Running is an exercise that may seem to be- 
long exclusively to the period of youth. It is a 

16 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 

practice more characteristic of youth than of 
age, and yet if this exercise of the young were 
to be continued up through the years of middle 
age, it would help to postpone the condition of 
age, irrespective of one's years. 

Running is an exercise the speed and violence 
of which can be graduated according fta the^ 
strength and desire of the individual. Running 
may be an exceedingly violent effort, or it may 
be so mild that it is even less of an exertion than 
hard, fast walking. Indeed, if you wish to at- 
tempt fast walking, a little gentle running would 
be the best way in which to train yourself for 
that purpose, because the speed and effort of 
running may be graduated nicely according to 
the progress of one's training. 

A great many men of naturally vigorous, en- 
ergetic make-up find that walking is just a little 
bit slow for real strength-building exercise. It 
lacks that quality of a little extra effort which 
makes it seem like exercise. This exertion can be 
secured by running a small part of the distance 
which one ordinarily covers in the daily walk. In 
beginning to run do not forget the need for 
caution in the matter of suddenly placing upon 
the heart an unaccustomed strain. Commence 
with a small effort and increase the amount of 
exercise by easy stages. For instance, in the be- 
ginning you can run for half a block at 
a speed not greater than a walk, then 
you can run an entire block at the same 
speed, or at a speed very slightly increased^ 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

After you have reached what one may call a fair 
dog-trot you may find it better not to increase 
the speed, but rather to run a little further. In 
this way, there will be no disastrous after-effects. 
Never force yourself to fun when it seems too 
great an exertion. There is no fun in any form 
of exercise when it becomes "too much like 
work." You may depend upon it, your exercise 
is doing you good just as long as you enjoy it. 

In suggesting the value of running I do not 
mean to imply that it is good in all cases. Much 
depends upon the individual. The light-boned 
man, of small frame, weighing one hundred and 
twenty pounds, can run with very little effort. 
It may be very easy for him to cover one or two 
miles. But the big man, with heavy bones, and 
with a weight of a couple of hundred pounds, 
will find running a big effort, and a very little 
of it, in his case, will go a long way — physiologi- 
cally, if not geographically. Hard and fast rules 
cannot be laid down. Every one should be guided 
by the rules that suit his individual requirements. 
In many cases, however, a little run of a quarter 
of a mile or more, taken in conjunction with a 
walk of several miles, will help greatly in main- 
taining that sound physical condition and that 
youthfulness of the arteries and of all of the 
organs of the body which means the retention 
of youth. 

A remarkable instance of the possibility of 
running in advanced age and of maintaining the 
health and strength of youth through this exer- 

18 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 

cise, is found in the case of Colonel James P* 
Smith of Detroit, Michigan. At the present writ- 
ing, Colonel Smith is seventy-four years- old and 
can run a ten-mile Marathon like a younv man* 
He caA run a mile in five-forty, and if you do 
not think that fairly good, just try a quarter mile 
at the same speed, or, in other words, a quarter 
mile in one minute and twenty-five seconds. 
Colonel smith is a Civil War veteran, and has of- 
fered to race any twenty other Civil War veterans 
at a convention of the G. A. R., in a five-mile 
race — -each of the twenty to run in relays of a 
quarter of a mile, and Colonel Smith to run the 
entire five miles. He has taken part in many 
races of the same character. 

The main point of the story is the effect of 
long-distance running in restoring Colonel Smith 
to health. Twenty years ago he consulted his 
physician in regard to his health, and was told 
promptly that he had reached the letting-up per- 
iod of life and that the various symptoms of 
which he had complained were to be expected at 
this time of life. To deteriorate in this way, it 
seemed, was the natural order of things, and 
Colonel Smith was told to "take things as easy 
as possible," to avoid any violent exercise, in 
other words, to die as rapidly as possible. Colonel 
Smith did not accept the judgment, for he had 
a "hunch'"* that a man at his age ought to be as 
good a man as ever. The feeling that he would 
give almost anything to be able to run and jump 
like a young man made him think that the only 

19 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 



Col. James P. Smith, Detroit, Mich., a Civil War veteran 

Photographed at the age of seventy-four. He keeps young 

by five and ten mile runs. 

20 



KEEPING ENDURANCE 

way in which to attain that end was to practice 
running. He tried it. At first he was quickly 
winded, but as he persisted he found out that 
he could run more easily and cover a greater dis- 
tance. He found that he was feeling better, that 
he could assimilate his food more easily, that he 
could sleep better, and that in every way he was 
feeling younger and more vigorous than before. 
He kept up this program until he could run 
many miles without forced effort or distress. 

Alarmed by the complaints of his family, and 
threatened with disaster by his physician. Col- 
onel Smith stopped running after a time. Feel- 
ing his health deteriorate and noting the former 
symptoms of advancing age asserting themselves, 
the Colonel ultimately disregarded the opinions 
and advice of every one and returned to his long- 
distance running. His health immediately began 
again to improve, and now, at the age of seventy- 
four, he is, in every respect, an example of health. 
He has the normal heart-beat, the normal pulse, 
and can easily participate in the energetic activi- 
ties of a young man. 

It may be that there are some not so well 
adapted, by bodily build and strength, to run- 
ning, as Colonel Smith is, but his case is an ad- 
mirable illustration of the value of exercise in 
advanced age, as a means of keeping young. 

Study your own make-up, your present 
strength, your constitutional requirements, and 
form your plans for exercise accordingly. It may 
be that golf is the best thing in your case; it 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

may be that long walks will suit your purpose, 
especially if they be supplemented by spine and 
other stretching exercises. But on the other 
hand, it is quite likely that just a little running, 
combined with other exercises, may be a help. 



22 



LESSON XI 
Breathing to Keep Young 

ALTHOUGH any form of muscular eflPort 
compels deep breathing, and although norm- 
ally one's breathing apparatus tends to adjust 
itself automatically to the requirements of the 
body, nevertheless special attention to the prac- 
tice of habitual deep breathing always gives one 
a higher degree of health and strength. To real- 
ize the importance of developing the lungs and of 
deep breathing, you need only consider that 
oxygen is the very first requirement of life. The 
need is continuous and imperative. You cannot 
live a minute without oxygen. Therefore it is 
easy to understand that deep breathing as a habit | 
will give one more energy and vitality. 

Shallow breathing is an almost universal habit, 
and with advancing years the condition tends to 
become more pronounced. With the increasing 
inactivity, and, perhaps, stiffness, of coming age, 
a man tends to take less and less air into his 
lungs. This, like the bending of the spine, is one 
of the things he should fight against as he grows 
older. It is difficult to maintain health and youth 
under such conditions, and as the breathing be- 
comes more and more shallow, one arrives in 
time at a condition of practical oxygen starva- 
tion. 

The only way to make a habit of deep breath- 

23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




Illustrating exhalation in diaphragmatic or .abdominal 

breathing. The chest is not moved, the stomach being drawn 

in with the exhalation of air. 

24 



BREATHING TO KEEP YOUNG 




This shows the expansion of the body at the waistline and 
in the abdominal region as a result of inhalation through 
diaphragmatic breathing. The chest does not move. This is 
"deep breathing" in the true sense. Learn it and practice it. 

25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

ing is to think about it and practice it consciously 
at certain times of the day, according to schedule. 
If you take in deep full breaths a great many 
times, morning, noon and night, or at certain 
times during the day, your lungs will become 
accustomed to expanding and taking in a full 
supply of oxygen. Also your lungs will maintain 
the healthy and elastic condition that will make 
deep breathing a pleasure. 

You should learn and cultivate diaphragmatic 
breathing, because this brings the air deep into 
the lower cells of the lungs. In diaphragmatic 
breathing, the diaphragm presses downward, 
making room for the incoming air supply. This 
means the expansion of the body at the waistline 
and to the abdominal regions. Place your hand 
at the waistline and feel this expansion as you 
draw the air far down into the lungs. As soon 
as you find that you seem to inhale a gallon of 
air through this abdominal expansion alone, you 
may be satisfied that you have mastered the use 
of your diaphragm. 

One of the best methods of cultivating the 
habit of deep breathing is to engage in rhythmic 
breathing when taking a long walk. Everything 
that one may do upon this earth will be more 
effective if done in rhythm. This is applicable 
to many forms of exercise, but particularly to 
breathing. Ehythmic breathing is accomplished 
by inhaling deeply while taking a certain number 
of steps. Inhale during six or eight steps, and 
then exhale during the next six or eight steps. 

26 



To make sure of proper diaphragmatic action in breathing, 
place the hands on the sides and back at the waistline. The 
expansion of the body not only takes place in the abdomen, 
but backward and outward at the sides. In correct dia- 
phragmatic breathing you will be able to feel this expansion 
in back and sides with your hands. When you have acquired 
voluntary control you will be able to breathe correctly with- 
out using your hands to feel the expansion. 
27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Often four steps, or ten steps, or twelve steps, 
may suit one. Inhale through the nose and ex- 
hale the same way. You can be sure that just 
as soon as you can walk five or ten miles with- 
out becoming unduly tired, practicing this rhyth- 
mic breathing during the entire walk, you will 
have acquired a condition of health and vigor 
that even a young man might be proud of. This 
may seem an impossible goal in the beginning, 
but for an elderly man in good health, five or 
ten miles is anything but a big job. 

Although the diaphragmatic method of breath- 
ing is the normal and proper one, yet a certain 
amount of chest breathing is to be recommended 
for the reason given in my discussion of flexibil- 
ity of the spine. The capacity for moving the 
ribs, as reflected in the chest expansion, means 
a cetrain flexibility of the spinal column, because 
the ribs are attached to the spinal vertebrae. Stiff 
and immovable ribs mean a stiff spine. Flexibil- 
ity of the chest means a flexible, elastic and 
youthful spine. Therefore the ribs should be 
thoroughly * 'exercised," so to speak, each day, 
by so expanding the chest as to bring the air up 
into the topmost parts of the lungs. In other 
words, chest breathing exercise is valuable for 
two reasons — the oxygen which it supplies to the 
body and the beneficial effect upon the spine. 

Apart from the deep breathing exercises that 
you may take upon your walks, you should fol- 
low a program of deep breathing at certain times 
during the day. I may suggest that you establish 

28 




An example of the fullest possible inhalation, inhaling first' 
diaphragmatically and then filling the upper parts of the 
lungs by expanding the chest, thus filling the lungs to the 
maximum. The photo shows a beautiful eaxmple_of chest 
development. 
29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the practice of deep breathing upon rising, before 
retiring and both before and after meals. Usual- 
ly it is best to do your deep breathing before an 
open window, if you are indoors, though the 
deep breathing exercises on rising and retiring 
may just as well be done while lying down 
in bed. It is assumed that you are in the habit of 
sleeping with your windows open, and that you 
wlQ have the best quality of air obtainable. 



30 



Mmcing Old 

BODIESlrbUNG 

Ohirty -Eight Lessons 
m Buildinq Vital it if 
and Neroe wrce and in 
thec4rt of Postponina 
01dc4qe ^ ^ .^ 

Oesson 

12 

Beinair Macfadden 



LESSON xn 

How Massage Helps to Prolong Youth 

THERE is a substitute for exercise which 
may sometimes be regarded as a form of 
exercise, and which may be employed with bene- 
fit in many cases in which it is impossible to en- 
gage in real muscular activity. 
This substitute is massage. 
In many cases of illness, or of injury, massage 
can be used upon those parts of the body not 
actually involved in the injury, so as to maintain 
circulation and strength while the victim is con- 
valescing. Otherwise the muscles will waste 
away while one is on one's back, and in the case 
of extreme age, where one is too feeble for much 
active exercise, massage is available as a means 
of maintaining good circulation, strength and 
health. 

In the case of a healthy man or woman it should 
be said that massage cannot entirely take the 
place of exercise. It cannot supply the active, 
strength-giving qualities of the latter, but even in 
this case, it will be helpful as a supplement to 
exercise- 
Massage consists of a kneading or manipula- 
ting of the muscles and tissues in such a way as 
to relieve stiffness, promote elasticity, and 
especially to increase circulation. Improved cir- 
culation is really the chief purpose, and it must 

2 . .: 

©CI.A'570003 



MASSAGE 



be noted that if good circulation is maintained, 
health of the tissues involved will follow as a mat- 
ter of course. The cells will be supplied with new 
building material, waste and dead matter will be 
carried off by the blood, and this will help keep 
the tissues strong and elastic. 

Massage tends to increase circulation, because 
by the compression or squeezing of the tissues in- 
volved the blood is forced, not only out of the 
larger blood-vessels, but even out of the tiny 
capillaries, while with the next instant of relax- 
ation, a new supply of arterial blood pours into 
them. This is again forced on its way, with the 
acquired waste matter and impurities, by the 
next compression, or massage stroke. The in- 
creased circulation has a refreshing effect upon 
any part of the body subjected to its influence. 

Every child knows the value of rubbing a sore 
and stiffened muscle. Massage is a scientific de- 
velopment of "rubbing." 

The truth is that massage is sometimes even 
more important than sleep as a means of reliev- 
ing extreme muscular fatigue. Massage will 
truly rest one more quickly than anything else, 
under certain conditions. Muscular fatigue re- 
sults simply from the choking up of the muscle 
cells with the waste matter produced through the 
work that has been done. In all muscular effort 
the cells are broken down, to a certain extent, 
and the muscles are clogged with the fatigue 
poisons produced. When these wastes have ac- 
cumulated to such an extent that they make it 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

difficult or impossible to continue using the mus- 
cles concerned, we have what is known as fatigue* 
The muscles become stiff and sore, owing to the 
presence of poisonous wastes. Now if you go to 
sleep, the slow circulation of the blood during 
repose will in time remove the wastes, and 
you will wake up refreshed, though, perhaps, 
still somewhat stiff. But massage, by mechan* 
ically increasing the circulation through the 
muscles involved, will result in a rapid removal 
from the tissues of these poisonous wastes, and 
will thus relieve stiffness and soreness more 
quickly than sleep. 

It is well known that after continued muscular 
exertion has produced such extreme fatigue that 
one is practically unable to move the muscles 
concerned the application of massage has such a 
restoring and refreshing effect that it is possible 
to repeat and sometimes even to excel the prev- 
ious effort. This has been found true in experi- 
ments with athletes and also in animal experi- 
mentation — notably with frogs. 

This will explain why athletes take a rub-down 
T^oth before and after a hard race, or a boxing 
match. 

There are two kinds of fatigue. One involves 
nervous exhaustion, the other is the result of 
accumulated waste products. Only sleep can 
restore the exhausted nerve cells, but massage 
will provide rest so far as the removal of the 
fatigue poisons is concerned. 

In any case of muscular stiffness following ex- 

4 



MASSAGE 




MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 




MASSAGE 



ercise, a hot bath, or a local application of hot 
water, is always to be recommended. Try the 
combination. A hot bath followed by massage 
will literally work miracles in relieving stiffness 
and soreness. 

Where the strength is limited, massage will 
enable one to get much of the same benefit that 
is acquired in ordinary muscular effort. There- 
fore a little masage on going to bed, on arising, 
or at any time that one may feel like it, will be 
beneficial. One may use cocoa butter, or olive 
oil, in connection with it, but this is chiefly for its 
effect upon the skin itself, if it is dry. One really 
does not need anything but the bare hands. 

If one can enjoy the services of a professional 
masseur, that will simplify matters. Sometimes 
another member of the family, who is "handy" in 
such things, may be available. If no such assist- 
ance is to be had, it is still possible for one to 
administer self -massage. You need not be an 
expert in order to get good results, although it 
is always best to understand the fundamental 
principles. For instance, to improve the circula- 
tion it is desirable that the blood in the veins 
should be helped on its way to the heart. For this 
reason, where the limbs are concerned, it is 
advisable always to make all massage movements 
upward, or toward the heart. 

Where the legs are concerned, it is well that 
they should be elevated while the subject lies on 
his back, for this position will naturally help the 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

drainage of the blood in the veins, through the 
force of gravity. This, in itself, is restful. 

The chief types of massage movements con- 
sist of stroking, kneading, circular movements, 
tapping, or percussion, and vibration. The 
technical names for these general types of mas- 
sage are: Effleurage, including the stroking 
movements; Petrissage, including the kneading 
movements ; Friction, as the circular movements 
are called; Tapotement, applied to the tapping 
or percussion movements; and Vibration, which 
is self-explanatory. Vibration is largely ap- 
plied by mechanical devices that impart a 
shaking or vibratory impulse, but it may be ap- 
plied by the hands. Effleurage, or stroking, is 
applied chiefly to the surface tissues, though a 
certain quality of kneading may be imparted to 
it by the application of sufficient pressure. The 
stroking movements are very nerve soothing. 

Petrissage is more effective for the deeper tis- 
sues. All of these kneading movements are best 
applied, not by pinching with the thumb and 
finger points, but by a movement which involves 
the entire palm of the hand. In other, words, 
the flesh should be taken hold of by the entire 
hand and gently compressed between the fingers 
and palm of the hand. In massaging the arms, 
for instance, take hold at the wrist with the entire 
hand, not using the thumb, and after a light, 
firm grip, move the hand up half an inch, grip- 
ping again. Go up the arm in this manner 
and then repeat. In massaging another person, 

8 



MASSAGE 




MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

one can take hold of the arm on both sides, press- 
ing it in the same way. 

It is important not to apply massage too 
strenuously. It is not a case of "giving strength" 
bj^ applying the strength of the operator. Too 
vigorous pinching in the application of massage 
will bruise the tissues and may do more harm 
than good. It is a gentle but moderately firm 
grip, one which is entirely comfortable and en- 
joyable, that will produce the most beneficial 
results. In other words, a "strong" man has no 
advantage as a masseur. 

Friction consists, as we have said, of the simple 
circular movements, and is extremely valuable 
for the surface tissues. It is the best type for ap- 
plication at the spine, knees, elbows, ankles and 
other joints, and also for massage of the scalp 
of the head. 

Tapotement, including tapping or percussion, 
is valuable for reaching the deeper tissues. It 
can be done lightly with the finger tips, or more 
vigorously by "chopping" with the outer edges 
of the straight hands, or even by a gentle pound- 
ing with the doubled fists. 

Self -massage may best be applied by jommen- 
cing with the feet and legs, first massaging one 
foot by kneading and friction, then proceeding 
up the calf of the leg with kneading and stroking, 
then doing the same with the thigh. A splendid 
treatment for the thigh is a movement in which 
the flesh is rolled between the two hands. After 
completing both legs in this manner, the arms 

10 



MASSAGE 







^H ''^H^^^^^^^^i 




\ m 


fl 




^\ 




m 







11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

may be taken up, starting with a general rubbing 
of the hands, then proceeding from the wrist of 
one arm up to the elbow with kneading and 
stroking, then up the upper arm the same way, 
commencing again on the wrist of the other 
hand. Next comes the trunk of the body. For 
the region from the chest down to the waistline 
both the kneading and circular movements are 
effective. For the abdominal region deep knead- 
ing is best, and is most effectively done while ly- 
ing on the back, though it may be done while sit- 
ting on a chair in a relaxed position. A large 
circular movement with the doubled fist is very 
effective as a constipation treatment, especially 
if the movement is made upward on the left 
side, across, and downward on the right. The 
percussion treatment may be applied to the legs 
and even to the trunk, but care must be taken 
not to use it where there is any tenderness. 

In attempting self-massage of the back, 
one will naturally meet with some difficulty. The 
hips may be treated by kneading and percus- 
sion. The lower back can best be treated by per- 
cussion and circular movements, while the 
shoulders and upper back may be massaged by 
friction and a certain amount of kneading. But 
the best plan for the whole back is an application 
of massage through vigorous rubbing with a 
large Turkish bath towel. If you rub across the 
back, and up and down, from each shoulder, 
very good results indeed may be secured. 

That it is not at all natural for man to be shod 

12 



MASSAGE 



in his present manner is a proposition which 
everyone, probably, will accept without argu- 
ment. The savage man went barefoot, or almost 
barefoot, except when the climate made* it neces- 
sary for him to protect his- feet from the cold, and 
this habit may have been more closely related to 
his physical vigor than we have been in the habit 
of thinking. 

We all know the stimulating sensation that 
comes from going barefoot, as in bathing, or 
upon other occasions when we are permitted to 
return to Nature, and it is probable that this feel- 
ing of exhilaration is but the expression of a 
beneficial effect upon the whole organism. In 
the present state of civilization opportunities for 
discarding our footgear must unfortunately be 
few, but it is possible to secure the tonic effect 
of the practice by other means. 

The method by which this can be done was 
brought to my attention by a man who was not 
far from seventy years of age, but whose general 
appearance — hands, features, .etc. — would not 
have suggested, despite his white hair, that he 
was more than forty or forty-five. For several 
years it had been his practice, before going to 
bed at night, to soak his feet for about five min- 
utes in cool — not cold water (about 70 degrees 
V. ) , and then to rub the dead skin from them with 
his bare hands. He took first one foot from the 
water, and, without drying it, rubbed the bottom 
until the moisture had all evaporated. By this 
time the foot was sticky, owing to the dead skin 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

and other substances that had been loosened by 
the friction. He then wet his hands again and 
continued the rubbing until everything remov- 
able had been rubbed off. When this was done 
the process was repeated with the other foot. 
The material rubbed off was saved and analyzed, 
and was found to be exactly similar to dried bone. 
A trial of this practice for a few weeks will 
convince anyone that it is worth while. If you 
are nervous it will quiet you, and if you are tired 
it will rest you. But these temporary effects are 
probably not its most valuable ones. It is a well- 
known fact that a large amount of the waste of 
the body seeks elimination through the feet. We 
have evidence of this in the tendency of the' tissue 
between the toes to become easily inflamed, and 
also in the strong unpleasant odor that issues 
from the feet if they are not washed frequently. 
I have* never heard of an active person who was 
in the habit of going bareooted who suffered with 
rheumatism, gout, hardened arteries and other 
senile complaints. Therefore it seems reason- 
able to conclude that at least some of the impuri- 
ties that cause these conditions are eliminated 
through the soles of the feet. We know that one 
of the features of old age is the hardening of the 
cartilaginous tissues of the body, and the fact 
that the material rubbed from the feet of the 
old man mentioned above resembled ground 
bone, suggests the possibility that some of the 
elements that produce this change are capable 
of elimination through the pedal extremities. 

14 



MASSAGE 



The practice described is certainly well worth 
a trial, as a means of retaining youth, but will 
not give results unless it is carried out with vigor. 
The feet must be rubbed until they are entirely 
dry, and then rubbed again with wet hands until 
all moisture has again disappeared. 



15 



Making Olb 
Bodies M)UNG 

OhirtyEiQht Lessons 
in Dujldinq Vital itij 
and NerOe Force and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inq 
Old c4ae ^ ^ .^ 

Cessans 

13 and 14 

Be) nan Macfadden 



Part Three 

Keeping Internally Clean 

Comprising Lessons Thirteen to Eighteen 

XIII. A Man Is As Old As His Stomach. 

XIV. A Method of Cleansing the Stomach. 
XV. How We Are Poisoned in Old Age. 

XVI. The Quintessence of Fletcherism. 
XVII. How Colon Cleansing Is Attained. 
XVIII. New Methods of Cleansing the Ali- 
mentary Canal. 



©CI. A 5 701)03 



^lik. 



no^ 






LESSON XIII 
A Man Is as Old as His Stomaich 

THE physical man from birth to death is built, 
repaired and maintained by the activities of 
the stomach, and the quality of the man largely 
depends upon the quality of his digestion. A 
well built and well repaired machine will last 
longer than a poorly built one, and just as surely 
will the body that is well built and repaired by a 
sound and well-cared-for stomach last longer 
than one which is less well built and cared for. 
Long life and a vigorous old age are perhaps 
more dependent upon a good digestion than upon 
any other single factor. 

These statements are quite obvious and indis- 
putable, but there are widely different ideas as 
to .what constitutes a good digestion and how it 
should be cared for. Gravest of the popular 
errors concerning the stomach is that its effi- 
ciency is to be judged by the abuse that it will 
stand. The stomach that will dispose of a large 
quantity of food, or digest foods that are difficult 
to digest, may be called a **strong'' stomach; but 
such a stomach may be the very cause of its 
owner's filling an untimely grave. This sort of 
digestive strength invites abuse, if not checked 
by intelligent restraint, and such continued abuse 
will result either in a premature breakdown of 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the digestive apparatus itself, or in a continued 
over-digestion that will break down the kidneys 
or liver, or cause obesity, rheumatism, dropsy, or 
gout. 

The stomach that will contribute to long life is 
the one that will send forth the call of appetite 
for only the kind and quantity of food needed to 
maintain and prolong life. The happy medium 
of stomach power is perhaps the safest one a man 
can have. A strong stomach, the kind that will 
stand abuse, would seem, • if never abused, the 
more desirable, for there would always be a re- 
serve power of digestion. But in practice we are 
all creatures of appetite, and few of us can fully 
control our food intake by purely intellectual 
guidance. It is for this reason that the man who 
is dyspeptically inclined so often outlives his 
neighbor with the lusty appetite. The weak di- 
gestion may be troublesome, but it must be care- 
fully handled, and so may outlast the strong. 
The digestion that is too weak to supply the vital 
needs of the body is much more rare than the 
strong stomach which, if not held in check, will 
overstock the body with food elements and bring 
on all manner of disease. 

That the stomachs that overdo their work out- 
number those that underdo it is explained by 
the changes brought about by civilized life. Un- 
der the crude conditions of savage life, and even 
among the laboring population in a civilized com- 
munity, a greater power of digestion is required 
to maintain life than is requisite for a brain- work- 



THE STOMACH 



ing populaton. For ths reason most of us have 
inherited greater digestive powers and appetites 
than we need to maintain the less active hfe we 
now lead. Natural instincts, if followed, should 
adjust our appetites and food intake to the 
changed condition of our activities ; but civilized 
customs and eating habits all conspire to thwart 
these instincts, and we continue to eat "savage" 
meals in a civilized environment. The diseases 
of civilization are the result. 

There is often a decline, also, in our activities 
from youth to middle age. Part of this reduction 
is due to the natural decline of vigor with ad- 
vancing years, but it is often largely due to the 
fact that the young man has made his living by 
hard physical labor, and with an increase of pros- 
perity and brain power has worked into more 
sedentery occupations. Many American business 
men start life on the farm, or in the factory, and 
later remove to the city, or to the office. Proud 
of the strength and appetite of their youth, they 
continue the eating habits adapted to strenuous 
physical activity. All goes well for a time; but 
at forty or fifty they suffer a breakdown which 
they lay to the worries and cares of business, 
when in reality it is due to catering to the strong 
appetite and ample eating habits developed in 
youth. A man driving an automobile up a steep 
hill opens the throttle to give the engine more 
fuel ; if he then comes out on a piece of smooth 
level road and fails to shut off the surplus fuel 
we call him a foolish driver. Yet that is the 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

kind of driving that most business men do with 
their physical machines. 

But the example of the automobile is not a 
perfect one, for the human machine is more com- 
plicated. A certain amount of energy is required 
to maintain it on a level road, nor can we shut 
off all fuel and coast down hill. We cannot get 
rid of our muscles, even though our machine 
civilization were so perfect that they were hardly 
needed at all. For this reason some physical 
activity must be maintained by sports and exer- 
cises, even though our work be purely mental. 
^Food must be reduced with lessened activity, yet 
there must be a sufficient activity 16 utilize suf- 
ficient food to keep up a moderate appetite. 
Without such activity and such appetite the 
stomach grows too weak from disuse to supply 
the proper nutriment for the body's internal ac- 
tivities. 

One of the greatest errors that can be made 
is to try to bolster up declining digestive powers 
with any of the numerous so-called aids to di- 
gestion. While it is foolish to tax a weakening 
digestive power with excessive quantites of food, 
or to eat foods known to be hard to digest, yet 
the stomach can no more maintain its power 
when relieved of its duties than can the muscles. 
The simplest and plainest of foods taken in small 
quantities is the correct remedy for a weakened 
digestion. Many of the so-called aids to diges- 
tion do not aid but injure the digestive powers. 
All medicines, distilled liquors, bitters and cor- 

6 



THE STOMACH 



dials come in this class, and while they are never 
of real use they are certainly more dangerous for 
the old than for those in the prime of life. Ap- 
petizers in the form of highly seasoned foods 
must also be classed as injurious "digestive aids." 
There is no real appetizer except physical activi- 
ty and general good health. 

As the body's need for food decreases there is 
a corresponding decrease in the secretion of gas- 
tric juice. This fact leads to weakened digestion 
in the stomach, which physicians often attempt to 
counteract by the use of artificial pepsin. The 
use of such an aid may temporarily increase di- 
gestive powers, but just as surely as it does there 
will result further decrease in the natural secre- 
tion. Such an effort is very like an effort to in- 
crease muscular power by riding instead of walk- 
ing, the surest way to destroy what power re- 
mains. 

Predigested foods are a double delusion. In 
the first place, little actual predigestion is possi- 
ble by artificial means. In the next, predigested 
foods, in so far as they live up to their claims, 
must be classed as digestive crutches and de- 
feat the end sought, because they weaken the 
natural digestive powers. There are, however, 
a few good wholesome and easily digested foods 
that are sometimes called predigested. Chief of 
these are malted products, such as malted milks, 
which should not, because of the similarity of 
names, be confused with alcoholic drinks made 
from malt. 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Except in abnormal cases due to accidents, or 
acute illness, the body rarely needs nourishment 
that cannot be supplied by its own digestive pow- 
ers, and where these are weakened the remedy is 
to be found in the careful adjustment of the diet 
to the actual needs of the body and the careful 
selection of foods that are naturally easy of di- 
gestion. All artificial aids to digestion should be 
carefully avoided by those who would reach a 
ripe and normal old age. The greatest natural 
aid to digestion is physical action. This not only 
helps to create a healthy appetite by increasing 
the demand for food, but it facilitates the process 
of digestion, which is partly muscular and partly 
chemical. 

The digestive tract from mouth to colon is a 
tube with muscular walls. These muscles are in 
constant activity, agitating the food so that it 
may be thoroughly mixed with the chemical ele- 
ments of the digestive juices, and moving it 
along the digestive tract at a proper speed. A 
man who wants to dissolve sugar in his coffee 
stirs the mixture with a spoon. The chemist who 
would hasten the reaction in a flask agitates the 
flask. 

By the same process the digestive muscles 
facilitate the chemical action of digestion. All 
muscular activity is related and controlled by 
the muscular tone of the whole organism. Gen- 
eral muscular idleness, therefore, results in im- 
paired digestive activity and the congestion of 
the food, particularly in the colon. This is one 



THE STOMACH 



of the causes contributing to constipation, which 
mothers a brood of diseases. 

The weakenening digestive power of advanc- 
ing age must, therefore, be remedied both by the 
control of the kind and quality of the food eaten 
and by the control of the bodily activities. Men 
who have saved themselves from premature 
aging and attained a healthy and ripe old age 
usually attribute it either to the taking up of 
physical activity, or to the control of the diet. 
Both are desirable and essential means towards 
the same end, and only by the adoption of both 
measures can the best results be obtained. 

When many causes contribute to the same end 
we are prone to single out one of them and 
ascribe to it all virtue. Many factors contribute 
to early aging and premature death, and hence 
there are many cures for old age. When one 
m.an adopts a single one of these measures and 
achieves marked results thereby he proclaims it 
as a panecea for all the ills of advancing years. 
In truth, it is likely that such individuals, by 
good fortune, have hit upon the one remedy which 
was most needed in their own case, and hence 
have gained satisfactory results. But in other 
cases this single remedy often fails to bring simi- 
lar results, for in the other cases some other need 
may have been greater. It is, however, impossi- 
ble to over-emphasize the importance of the ac- 
tivity of the stomach in the preservation of the 
powers of youth. It is vital, and through the con- 
trol of diet and digestion the average length of 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

life may be increased many years. The question 
is intimately related also to all other phases of 
youth prolongation. With this factor intelligent- 
ly controlled much may be achieved. Without 
it all else may prove futile. 

And just as the digestion is but one of many 
phases of life prolongation, so there are many 
phases in the care of the digestion. The stomach 
is a hidden organ over which the intelligence has 
little direct control. Its powers must, therefore, 
be guarded indirectly. This is accomplished, 
first, by intelligent regulation of the kind and 
quantity of the food that we eat and the inter- 
vals at which we eat it, and second, by intelligent 
regulation of those activities of the digestive tube 
which are subject to the control of the mind, 
namely mastication and elimination. In old age 
both the powers of mastication and of the ex- 
pulsion of waste from the colon are apt to de- 
cline, and extra care is, therefore, needed to 
maintain their activity. 

All of the elements in the preservation of the 
digestive and nutritive activities are so important 
as to merit full discussion in the chapters which 
are to follow. 



10 



LESSON XIV 
A Method of Cleaning the Stomach 

THE importance of the stomach to the health 
of the entire physical organism cannot be 
too greatly emphasized. In it the blood-making 
process begins. Mistakes in eating, either in 
quantity or quality, or any interference with 
stomachic digestion, materially affect one's en- 
tire organism. Therefore, the importance of 
maintaining the stomach in a superior condition 
of health cannot be overestimated. 

Our unnatural mode of life, our ability to 
satisfy our desire for food at frequent intervals, 
often makes us slaves to an abnormal appetite, 
and consequently we experience unpleasant 
symptoms in the stomach. We often have a 
coated tongue, foul breath and other signs of 
dietetic evil. 

Now I will here suggest a means of cleansing 
the stomach that is new to this generation, at 
least in adult life, but which is a reversion to 
methods that must have been instinctive with 
us at all ages during former generations. TKe 
average baby possesses the power to which I re- 
fer, and if we were able to continue using this 
method of avoiding stomach-stuffing during our 
entire lives, it would be greatly to our advantage. 

The method I refer to is termed emesis. Some 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

few are able to thus cleanse the stomach without 
the sickness and nausea ordinarily associated with 
vomiting; but with or without nausea, it is ad- 
vantageous whenever there is need of ridding the 
system of an oversupply of nourishment. 

We are entirely too fastidious in our attitude 
towards this method of relieving the stomach. 
Whenever we experience nausea, we usually re- 
sort to some remedy to allay the stomach's desire 
to relieve itslf . The proper method in nearly all 
cases is to encourage stomachic inclinations of 
this sort by drinking a large quantity of luke- 
warm water. 

Not only does this treatment aid the stomach 
in securing relief, but any associated unpleasant- 
ness is greatly lessened. 

Whenever a baby is overfed, he will eject the 
oversupply without symptoms of nausea. This 
is as it should be. This is a power which we 
should possess throughout our entire lives; that 
IS, we should be able to eject any part of a meal 
that we have eaten which is beyond our require- 
ments, without unpleasantness. 

I am acquainted with a remarkable man, now 
in his seventies, who swallows two or three 
glasses of water each morning, and proceeds 
immediately to eject it from his stomach with 
apparently about the same ease that he would 
throw it from his mouth. This stomacjtrwashing 
process, in his case, has greatly assisted him in 
retaining the youthful powers that he possesses. 

In fact, this habit of washing the stomach out 

12 



CLEANSING THE STOMACH 

immediately on rising each morning is invaluable 
as a means of promoting longevity. If the stom- 
ach cannot be made to eject its contents without 
nausea, then, of course, the process is not nearly 
so valuable. It is just as valuable, however, in 
all cases where there is serious need of cleansing 
the stomach. It is needful when you have eaten 
beyond your digestive capacity. It is invaluable 
when you have been tempted to eat a meal with- 
out appetite. A meal eaten under such circum- 
stances should be ejected. Though a certain 
amount of the nourishment taken in this way 
may be assimilated, it is always liable to cause 
trouble of a more or less serious nature. If done 
habitually, it must result in disease. 

This method of cleansing the stomach was first 
called to my attention by an herb doctor in Eng- 
land. The emesis treatment, as he termed it, con- 
stituted a large part of his regime for curing 
disease. He properly maintained that disease 
begins in the stomach, and that if this organ is 
properly cleansed and made to perform its du- 
ties, the process of cure will proceed rapidly. 

At first I was but slightly interested in the 
emesis treatment, but after seeing two cases that 
had been under my care for a considerable time 
recover rapidly under its influence, I awoke to its 
value. 

The English practitioner required the patient 
to fast for two or more days, and at the com- 
pletion of this fast the stomach was cleansed very 
thoroughly with concoctions of herbs. This 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

tea was used in profuse quantities, changing 
from the herbs having astringent qualities to 
those having a relaxing influence on the tissues. 
After waiting an appropriate time for these herbs 
to act, he would give a glass or two of an herb 
that would act as an emetic, and the awakening 
of the stomachic functions that would result in 
some cases was truly extraordinary. Large 
quantities of foul-smelling, partly solid elements 
would often be ejected from the stomach. 

Following this strenuous treatment, the patient 
would be put on a very limited diet, the quantity 
being gradually increased until he was consum- 
ing the normal amount of food. 

Now I am not in a position to state that the 
herb teas taken under these circumstances were 
without value, but I am of the opinion that the 
principal benefit resulting from the treatment 
was the extraordinarily stimulating effect upon 
the stomachic functions of the hot water. The 
relaxing and astringent influences of the herbs 
doubtless awakened the stomachic glands to an 
unusual degree, but we can obtain, at least, a 
similar influence thru the use of hot and luke- 
warm water. 

This stomach-cleansing process is recommend- 
ed whenever the breath is foul, or the tongue is 
coated, or whenever you have been guilty of 
overeating. You rise from a meal convinced 
that you have eaten beyond your need. Im- 
mediately take a quantity of hot water and eject 
the meal. It will be much better for your health 

14 



CLEANSING^ THE STOMACH 

than the retention of food that you do not need. 
It is naturally better to avoid a meal when it is 
not needed, but when your appetite becomes un- 
controllable, here is your remedy. 

When you are attempting to cleanse the stom- 
ach in the manner mentioned, from one to two 
quarts of water should be taken, beginning with 
very hot water and ending at a lukewarm tem- 
perature. 

If you cannot induce the stomach to eject its 
contents by this means, you will have to adopt 
the old method of tickling the throat with two 
fingers. This method of forcing the activity 
of the ejectatory functions of the stomach will 
always be effective, and must be continued until 
the stomach fully and completely cleanses itself. 
The remedy is not a pleastant one, but it is a 
thousand times better than to allow superfluous 
food to remain in the stomach, poisoning the 
body thruout its every part. 



IS 



Making Old 
' Bodies l:biiiNG 

Ghirty -Eiqht Lessons 
in Buildina VitalitLj 
and Neroewrce and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inq 
Old c4cje ^ ^ .^ 

Cessans 

IS, 16 
and 17 

By 

Bernair Macfaclden 



i i 



LESSON XV 
^ How We Are Poisoned in Old Age 

ABOUT ten years ago Eli Metchnikoff, then 
at the head of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, 
wrote a book entitled The Prolongation of 
Life. The remarkable theories set forth and 
the prominent name of the author, who was rec- 
ognized as the world's greatest bacteriologist, 
caused this book to attract wide attention. 

Metchnikoff was not content, as is the unscien- 
tific mind, to accept old age and its attendant 
weakness and diseases as an uncaused phenome- 
non, but sought after the physiologic causes of 
senility and bodily decay. The greatest of these 
he found to be in slow poisoning of the body 
through the absorption of poisonous substances 
from the colon, or large intestine. This scientist 
pointed out that civilized man retains the feces, 
or digestive waste, longer in the intestine than 
is the case with most animals. This circumstance 
he ascribed to the erect attitude of man, the use 
of a concentrated diet and the lessened activities 
of civilized life. 

While the excreta of all animals are instinctive- 
ly offensive to that species, yet it would hardly 
seem that the waste products of digestion should 
be actively poisonous. That the contents of the 
human intestine should become so Metchnikoff 

2 

©CU570003 



GrVd^l 



/7^/5 



HOW WE ARE POISONED 

ascribes not to the human physiological process, 
but to the decomposition by bacteria of the 
nitrogenous or protein elements in the undigest- 
ed food waste. In the healthy man or animal 
there are no living bacteria in the blood or tissues, 
but the alimentary canal is a tube through the 
body, and its contents are not physiologically a 
true part of the body. Bacteria are present in all 
food as eaten, but in the stomach and small 
intestine their growth is prevented by the strong 
digestive juices. In the large intestine this anti- 
bacterial action is decreased, and if -the feces 
be long retained, the bacteria multiply enorm- 
ously and those which act upon the protein sub- 
stances create a number of offensive and poison- 
ous substances. To the absorption of these 
poisons Metchnikoff ascribed most of the symp- 
toms of old age. 

In so far as his theory of causes is concerned 
these views have found wide acceptance. The 
evil effects of constipation, which are sometimes 
called auto-intoxication, are fully recognized by 
all medical and hygienic authorities. These evils 
are frequently aggravated in the latter part of 
life. They are also aggravated by the use of an 
excessive meat or other high-protein diet. 

So much for Metchnikoff's explanation of 
causes — we now come to consider his remedy. 
Being a bacteriologist he gave his attention not 
to the decrease of the decomposible elements, 
nor to their more speedy elimination, but to the 
actual destruction of the bacteria in the colon, 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

He was, however, a sufficiently good physiologist 
not to attempt the destruction of the bacteria in 
the intestines by the introduction of germicidal 
chemicals, in which case ths antidote might be 
worse than the poison, but sought, instead, for 
the natural enemies of the offending bacteria in 
the form of other species of bacteria which, 
without causing injury to man, might check the 
growth of bacteria causing protein decomposi- 
tion. The rival bacterium he found to be the 
Bacillus bulgaricuSj which, by secreting lactic 
acid, created a medium in which the offending 
germs could not live. 

Lactic acid is harmless and perhaps actually 
beneficial to man, as it is the active ingredient 
of sour milk, which is widely used as human food 
the world over. There are several kinds of bac- 
teria which can create lactic acid and cause the 
souring of milk. Some of these bacteria cannot 
live in the human intestine, but there is at least 
one species that Metchnikoff found in the pecul- 
iar kind of sour milk so extensively used by the 
people of Bulgaria. So far there appeared to be 
no flaw in his reasoning, although the thread to 
which he attached the hope of human longevity 
was a slender one. But when the eminent scient- 
ist brings in, as the convincing argument for his 
case, the number of centenarians in Bulgaria, we 
at once become skeptical. Well authenticated 
cases of centenarians exist among all healthy 
long-lived peoples, but that the Bulgarians, a pov- 
erty-stricken and ignorant race, should outlive the 

4 



HOW WE ARE POISONED 

English, Scotch, or Scandanavians, is hardly- 
reasonable . Nor do they, for the larger number 
of centenarians reported in Bulgaria is much 
more readily explained by the fact, everywhere 
observable, that the greatest number of reported 
centenarians is always to be found among illiter- 
ate people who have no accurate knowledge of 
their age. It is true in this country among 
negroes and Indians, and a similar showing in 
Europe is made by Spain. Thus the keystone to 
Metchnikoff's reasoning is broken down by the 
fact that the use of Bulgarian sour milk is acci- 
dently associated with illiteracy, and is not a 
demonstrated cause of prolonged life. 

Such, at least, is the interpretation which im- 
partial critics have put upon the evidence which 
Metchnikoff adduces in favor of his scheme of 
life prolongation; but as a result of his work 
these two facts remain: first, that the decom- 
position of protein food residue in the intestine 
and its absorption by the blood is dangerous, both 
for young and old ; and secondly, that sour milk 
is an excellent food, deserving a wider use, and 
that it doubtless leaves the bowels in a much more 
wholesome condition than does a meat diet. I 
personally advise the cultivation of a taste for 
buttermilk, or other forms of sour milk, as being 
equally wholesome, if not indeed a better food for 
the adult than the fresh milk. 



LESSON XVI 
The Quintessence of Fletcherism 

THE late Horace Fletcher was not only an au-^ 
thority on longevity, but was himself a most 
remarkable case of youth prolongation. Mr. 
Fletcher broke many strength and endurance 
records made by young athletes when he himself 
was at the age of sixty, and he taught a system 
of eating and living that the seeker after long life 
cannot wholly ignore. There is a kinship be- 
tween the teachings of Metchnikoff and Fletcher. 
Whereas the former sought to prevent decom- 
position of the waste food elements in the colon 
by introducing a species of good bacteria to kill 
bad ones, Fletcher achieved the same end by a 
plan of dieting that left practically nothing for 
the bad bacteria to decompose and make poison 
out of. 

Fletcher and Fletcherism are generally sum- 
med up as "much chewing." Whereas Glad- 
stone advised us to chew every mouthful thirty 
times, Fletcher tells us to chew each mouthful 
until it is reduced to a liquid and is swallowed, 
not by obvious gulping, but by an instinctive and 
involuntary swallowing action. Any one can 
demonstrate this involuntary swallowing by tak- 
ing a sip of milk and holding it in the mouth, 
tasting and enjoying it but making no effort to 

6 



FLETCHERISM 



swallow it; it will slip down the throat almost 
imperceptibly. The same thing will happen to 
dry bread if it is masticated until it becomes thor- 
oughly liquid in the mouth. The habits of thor- 
ough mastication, with full tasting of the food, 
followed by this instinctive and involuntary 
swallowing, is the backbone of Fletcherism. But 
the benefits attained are not directly the result 
of the chewing, important as this may be. for this 
manner of eating exerts a double influence. The 
appetite is satisfied on much less food and 
there seems to be a decreased desire for meat or 
other protein foods. Now the combination of 
such thorough chewing with the resulting reduc- 
tion in the quantity of foods eaten leads to a 
remarkable completeness of digestion. Indeed 
digestion in the small intestine is so thorough 
that the residue leaves that organ in pillular form, 
the small quantity of feces expelled resembling 
that of a sheep. Such a plan of eating Fletcher 
found to result in but one or two bowel move- 
ments per week. Both the condition of the feces 
and the infrequency of the movements would 
seem to most of us as an extreme form of con- 
stipation; yet under Fletcher's regime none of 
the evil effects of constipation are observed, for 
the feces, or "digestion ash," as he termed it, are 
wholly inoffensive and non-poisonous. In 
Fletcher's case, at least, the absolute freedom 
from muscular soreness, which made his re- 
markable endurance records possible, would 
:seem a further evidence that this unusual way 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

of keeping the body free from poisonous wastes 
works most admirably. 

I have the greatest admiration for Fletcher and 
his work, and believe that he has made a most 
remarkable contribution to the science of health 
and longevity. The practical difficulty with 
Fletcherism, however, is that so few people seem 
capable of fully adopting it. Part of Fletcher's 
dietetic program is the rejection of fruit skins 
and all other fibrous portions of the food, on 
which we have been taught to rely to give bulk 
to the food residue and hence facilitate the bowel 
movement. Therefore the imperfect adoption of 
Fletcherism may increase constipation without 
rendering the feces harmless, and thus do more 
harm than good. Either we must secure a fre- 
quent emptying of the bowels, or we must secure 
such perfect digestion that the remnants of diges- 
tion become harmless. The latter condition is so 
difficult to attain that the former seems safer. 

There is another feature associated with the 
elimination of waste from the bowels which must 
be considered. 

The general idea that only the waste of the food 
that we eat is eliminated from the bowels is er- 
roneous. There are other eliminations which in 
some cases are considerable. For example, I 
have conducted fasts in which the patient would 
take no nourishment whatsoever for varying 
periods, ranging from one to ninety days, and in 
some cases I have seen the bowel movements con- 
tinue to the last day of the fast, indicating that 

8 



FLETCHERISM 



in these eases at least, where there could have 
been practically no digestion ash to be eliminated, 
the body was using the digestive tract for the 
elimination of other wastes. 

To be sure, if one should adopt Fletcher's idea 
of mastication, these wastes would no doubt de- 
crease very gradually, but the constitution of 
many individuals is such that it would be a grave 
mistake to depend upon the slow processes of 
elimination usually associated with Fletcherism 
in its extreme form. 

But I would advise every man to give Fletcher- 
ism an honest trial. If you find you can secure a 
condition of digestion which will so reduce the 
excreta that it becomes wholly inoffensive and 
gives no bowel distress, or other symptoms of 
constipation, well and good. But if this condi- 
tion proves unattainable, or you cannot keep 
your diet down to so close a margin, you will 
need to consider the other means for preventing 
intestinal poisoning which I will discuss at length 
in the next chapter. In any case you should not 
lose sight of the valuable lessons taught by Met- 
chnikoff and Fletcher: first, the relation of the 
contents of the colon to self-poisoning; second, 
the importance of mastication and the thorough 
tasting of all food ; third, the importance of eat- 
ing just enough to supply the body's need, with- 
out adding a burden of waste which must be 
eliminated and which may be turned into poison. 



LESSON XVII 
How Colon Cleanliness May Be Attained 

THE evil effect of putrid and decomposing 
matter in the colon, or large intestine, is a 
subject on which health authorities are well 
agreed. Upon the question of how this evil may 
be best overcome there are marked differences of 
opinion. These different views are in part ascrib- 
able to medical traditions, and in part to the fact 
that there are several ways by which the desired 
end may be attained. 

The commonest but unfortunately most harm- 
ful method of cleaning the colon is by means of 
physic, or purgative drugs. To understand the 
widespread custom of taking physic we must go 
back and consider the history of medicine. Medi- 
cal science, though becoming more rational each 
year, has still clinging about it the fragments 
of many ancient superstitions. In medieval 
times the art of making and administering drugs 
was associated with the most absurd supersti- 
tions. The same apothecary who compounded 
cures for disease also concocted love potions and 
elixirs of life and other nonsensical nostrums. 
There was a general search after all manner of 
evil-tasting and poisonous drugs. Among these 
were a goodly number of salts and herbs which 
when taken into the human alimentary canal re- 

10 



COLON CLEANLINESS 

suit in the rapid secretion of water from the 
blood, in what may be called Nature's effort to 
rid herself of the offending substance. This 
caused a watering of the canal and a sweeping 
out of all the contents, both the food wastes and 
the half digested food. Considerable temporary 
benefit resulted. Not only were the colon poisons 
eliminated, but the further absorption of food 
was checked at a time when, owing to illness, the 
body needed rest and not surplus food. Not only 
were the effects of these drugs temporary, how- 
ever, but they were gained by disturbance of a 
normal function, resulting in what was really a 
case of artificially induce'd indigestion. The ac- 
tion of physic on the bowels is not unlike that 
of a stimulant upon the nerves. In both cases 
artificially induced activity is likely to be follow- 
ed by a reaction. Cathartics have, therefore, no 
place in a permanent health program, and to 
rely upon them is to create a sort of drug habit. 
A second widely used method of colon cleanli- 
ness is that of the enema, or internal bath of warm 
water, or soap, or oil and water, injected into the 
rectum with some form of syringe. The enema 
is greatly to be preferred to physic. Its action is 
wholly mechanical, as the offending matter is 
washed out with externally introduced water in- 
stead of with water taken from the blood, and 
the half-digested contents of the stomach and 
small intestines are not disturbed. I recommend 
the use of the enema in all cases where wholly 
natural means are not effective. But as a regu- 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

lar proposition it is far from desirable. In the 
first place, the taking of an enema is an onerous 
task and one that is likely to be neglected. Sec- 
ondly, the bowel muscles may learn to wait for 
the external introduction of water before they 
will function. Lastly, the enema reaches only the 
contents of the colon, and if improperly admin- 
istered, only the lower portion of the colon. 
Hence, if no attention be paid to the diet, con- 
gestion may occur above the point at which the 
enema is effective. Bowel poisons will thus be 
formed and absorbed into the blood. 

For emergency use, however, when other 
methods of bowel elimination fail to work, I 
recommend that every one should possess some 
form of bowel syringe, or internal bath appar- 
atus. The enema is properly administered with 
about two to four quarts of lukewarm water. 
The water should be introduced slowly. If the 
bowels cramp for a moment check the flow until 
the pain ceases. The best effect of the enema 
will be secured when the injection is held from 
five to fifteen minutes. The mere introduction 
of a small quantity of water into the rectum may 
be useful in case of difficult passage, or when 
suffering from piles, but the full injection 
worked well up is essential as a remedy for auto- 
intoxication from colon poisons. 

Before turning to the completely natural means 
of remedying constipation I should mention the 
use of mineral oil. Such oil is not a physic, as it 
has no chemical effect. Being completely indi- 

12 



COLON CLEANLINESS 

gestible and also of a lubricating nature, it is a 
valuable aid in securing a quick emptying of 
the bowels. I should place its use about on a par 
with that of the enema, and recommend its em- 
ployment only in cases where purely natural 
means temporarily fail. 

The fundamental cause of colon congestion 
being found in an artificial diet and lack of exer- 
cise, the true remedy is to be found in these 
fields. Diet in this instance must be considered 
to include water, for the presence of water in 
the digestive* tract has a marked effect, both 
chemically and physically. 

The cause of this prevailing evil of civiliza- 
tion goes back to man's change of habits during 
his evolution from an active creature living large- 
ly on fibrous fruits and vegetables to an inactive 
one living on concentrated and denatured foods. 
The obvious remedy is to increase the muscular 
activity and adopt a normal diet. This is a par- 
ticularly difficult thing to do in old age, as it 
means the overcoming of lifelong habits. 

Normal activity having been neglected, the 
entire body has lost muscular tone and the in- 
testinal walls have shared in the loss. The habits 
and clothes of civilization seem particularly de- 
signed to prevent activity of the abdominal mus- 
cles. The dignified business man rarely stoops 
and rarely raises his knees, while his tree-climb- 
ing ancestors performed these movements, bring- 
ing the abdominal muscles into play, a hundred 
times a day. Therefore in devising exercises to 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

correct constipation special attention must be 
given to those muscles, although bodily activity 
of any kind is useful. Combined with such ex- 
ercises may be the massaging or kneading of the 
abdomen. Such massage is most effective if the 
path of the colon be followed. Begin on the 
right side low down and work up to a little above 
the navel, then across the body and down on 
the left side. 

The constipating or laxative effects of food 
vary somewhat with the individual. Fiber, or 
cellulose, as found in wheat bran, is typical of 
the group of foods that leave an ample bulk of 
intestinal residue to cause a healthy bowel action. 
Leafy vegetables, as spinach, kale, endive, or any 
form of greens, eaten raw or cooked, are among 
the best possible foods for the remedying of 
constipation. This group of foods cannot be sur- 
passed in the diet for old age. They contain 
little fattening ingredients and less protein, to 
decompose and form bowel poisons. They are 
rich in vital mineral salts and vitamines, and 
leave a wholesome bulk of fiber which does not 
decompose in the bowels. The skins of fruits, 
as grapes, raisins, prunes and figs are likewise 
beneficial, while in some cases the natural fruit 
sugars also have a laxative effect not due to the 
fiber. Thus honey, which is free from fiber, 
may act as a laxative. 

Of all the constipating foods white flour is the 
chief offender. The substitution of whole-wheat 
for white-flour bread is the simplest and most 

14 



COLON CLEANLINESS 

beneficial of all dietetic measures for the relief 
of constipation. The widespread adoption of 
whole wheat as a war measure probably did more 
good by improving the health of the nation than 
by preventing waste. 

Meat, cheese and an excess of eggs, hulled 
beans and macaroni, or other protein foods, ag- 
gravate the evil of colon poisoning, both by in- 
creasing the substance to decompose and by their 
constipating effects. 

Many cases of constipation are caused by in- 
sufficient water drinking and may be relieved by 
the ample use of plain water. The civilized diet 
must needs be light in quantity, because of our 
lessened activities, and is also light in bulk, owing 
to the use of concentrated foods. As a result the 
intestines contain so small a bulk that often they 
almost cease their muscular activities. Copious 
draughts of water, particularly upon arising, will 
often start the peristaltic muscular action. The 
contents of the upper portion of the digestive 
canal are set in motion and the muscular contrac- 
tions move on down the line. The water may be 
absorbed before it reaches the colon and yet 
arouse activity in that part. Water drunk on 
rising will be found especially helpful in estab- 
lishing the habit of a morning bowel movement. 

Where some nourishment is desired fruit 
juices diluted with water, or buttermilk, may be 
used on arising. Weak tea is frequently recom- 
mended for the purpose by English writers. 

15 



Making Ol© 
Bodies li)eNG 

Qhirty -EiQht Lessons 
in Building VitalitLj 
andNeroewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponina 
Old c4qe ^ -^ -^/ 

I Cessans 

mtgm 18, 19 

W^m and 20 



Bernair Macfadden 




Copyright 1919 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CI.A570003 



t^r/^f/ 



r7^/5 



LESSON XVIII 
New Methods of Cleansing Alimentary Canal 

WHEN the processes of curing disease and 
building the body become as scientifically 
accurate as mechanics, we will learn that all parts 
of the human mechanism must be treated from 
the alimentary canal. There may be a few excep- 
tions to this rule, but nearly all complaints have 
their origin in this complicated organ. A clean 
alimentary canal means cleanliness thruout the 
entire interior surface of the body. 

Many are under the impression that they are 
clean after the exterior surface of the body has 
been scrubbed and cleansed. But the interior sur- 
face of all the various tubes within the body, 
ranging in size from the capillaries to the stomach 
and colon, is perhaps more than one hundred 
times gi-eater than the exterior surface of the 
body. Of how much greater importance, there- 
fore, is interior than mere surface cleanliness! 

If you could cleanse your alimentary canal 
thruout its entirety with almost the same ease 
that you wash your face, you would probably 
consider yourself possessed of an extraordinarily 
valuable piece of knowledge, and I now intend to 
present a method of accomplishing this very 
thing. This cleansing process is so direct in its 
effects and the results are so sure that it can be 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

stated without fear of contradiction that it will 
absolutely cleanse every part of the alimentary 
canal, and that failure in its use is practically 
impossible. This process is associated too, with a 
vitality-building and muscle-strengthening pro- 
gram which is also invaluable. 

This method combines the drinking of hot 
water with exercises for stimulating and 
strengthening the spine, the exercises which are 
described and illustrated in Lesson III being 
particularly useful for the purpose. 

As the treatment can only be taken on an 
empty stomach, the most suitable time for it 
is immediately on rising in the morning. During 
the night, the functions have stagnated, to a 
certain extent. You are ready for a stimulating 
process of this kind, and it will be most beneficial 
at such a time. 

When you are ready to begin the treatment, 
you must have at least two quarts of hot water 
at hand. Take it as hot as you can without sip- 
ping. You should be able to drink it down as 
you would when thirsty. It can be flavored with 
a little salt if preferred, but add nothing which 
is in any way nourishing. In fact, salt is about 
the only allowable addition, and in some cases, 
this should be avoided. 

Begin by drinking a half pint, or a pint, and 
then proceed to the exercises. These should be 
fairly vigorous for your strength, and each move- 
ment taken should be continued until a feeling 
of fatigue is definitely induced. 

4 



NEW CLEANSING METHODS 

After exercising from two to four minutes, 
take another glass of hot water. Continue this 
process, exercising from two to four minutes, 
then drinking a glass of hot water, until you 
have taken water to your complete limit, or until 
the bowels have been called upon to act properly. 
The exercises can be continued thereafter if de- 
sired, though additional water* need not be taken. 

This particular method of cleansing the ali- 
mentary canal is superior to any other method of 
colon cleansing. It is so much better than the 
use of cathartics that no comparison can be made. 
Every function of the body is, to a certain extent, 
stimulated in the process, an effect which is due, 
to a large extent, to the spinal exercises. For as 
our readers know, the nerves controlling all the 
vital organs radiate from the spine, and when 
these nerves are actively stimulated, as they are 
in the spinal exercises referred to, every bodily 
function is arousd to unusual activity. 

If your eyes have been dull, your complexion 
muddy, you will note, after following this regime 
for a few days, a decided change for the better, 
for it means the literal washing of the organs 
that prepare the food for the tissues of the body 
and at the same time it stimulates the centers that 
supply their motive power. It does not require 
much reasoning to demonstrate that this must 
mean a purer quality of blood and that the life- 
giving fluid must more capably perform its office 
in every part of the organism. 

That "the blood is the life" is a truism, but 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the statement cannot be repeated too often. For 
if we can maintain the proper purity of this vital 
fluid thru a sensible diet and alimentary cleanli- 
ness, we will maintain the source of bodily and 
mental strength, and will be able to retain the 
energy and ambition that we ordinarily associate 
with early youth. 

This process of cleansing the alimentary canal 
is not recommended for daily use, but only for 
times when Nature requires help. It could be 
used every day for example, until the functions 
appear to be normal, after which the exercise 
could be taken without the hot water. 

In other words, when its object has been ac- 
complished, sufficient vitality should have been 
developed to enable the bowels to act without 
this stimulus. 



Part Four 

Food and Diet for Deferring 
Old Age 

Comprising Lessons Nineteen to Twenty-Three 

XIX. Foods That Keep One Young. 

XX. How Much Food and How Often. 

XXI. Fasting and Abstemious Diets. 

XXII. A Natural Stomach Tonic. 

XXIII. Correct Body Weight In Old Age. 



LESSON XIX 
Foods That Keep One Young 

THE errors in diet that cause premature age 
are chiefly those that have to do with the 
quantity of food eaten. There are, however, 
some well recognized dietetic laws that indicate 
what foods should be used and which should be 
omitted or decreased as one advances in years. 

First among these foods which the old should 
use sparingly are the heavy meats. There are 
two well recognized physiological indications 
that heavy meats are not required in the later 
period o f life. One is the decay of the teeth. Of 
course, it does not follow that loss of teeth must 
occur, even in old age. Many people retain them. 
However, all foods except the heavy meats may 
be so selected or prepared that they can be prop- 
erly mixed with the saliva in the mouth and thus 
prepared for the digestion without teeth. The 
dentist, by very skillfully replacing the natural 
teeth, performs a valuable service to our appear- 
ance and comfort ; but in rendering it possible for 
the aged to continue the meat diet of vigorous 
middle life he may often work actual injury. 

The more positive indications that meat is 
superfluous to the old is to be found in the prev- 
alence of kidney trouble and the frequency with 
which this causes death in the latter part of life. 

8 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

The chief chemical element of lean meat is nitro- 
gen, and the secretion from the body of this ele- 
ment in the form of urea is the chief function of 
the kidneys. By the continued heavy use of meat 
the kidneys are overtaxed, resulting in their 
breakdown and the accumulation of the nitro- 
genous elements which poison the body. 

Sufficient protein, or nitrogenous food ele- 
ments, can always be secured in more digestible 
form from eggs, milk, nuts and grain. Where 
these foods are taken in sufficient quantity there 
is no positive need for meat in the diet at any 
time. During the early period of growth and the 
activities of early manhood the need of meats to 
supply protein for the growth and replacing of 
tissues is much greater than in advanced years, 
when growth has altogether ceased and the rate 
of the replacement of tissues is much slower. 
In some forms of animal life we see this greater 
early use of tissue-building protein in an extreme 
form. Bees, while in the larval stage, are fed 
pollen, which is highly nitrogenous and from 
which the tissues of the body are rapidly formed. 
In the adult stage, when growth has ceased, the 
diet of the bee consists exclusively of honey, 
which contains only a trace of protein. The same 
is true of butterflies and moths. 

In the human species this change between the 
requirements of growth and maturity is not so 
marked; but it exists in a lesser degree. Some 
protein is always required for the replacement of 
living cells destroyed either in muscular v/ork, in 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the growth of the hair and skin, or in the activ- 
ities of the internal organs. The amount of pro- 
tein needed, however, is far less than the custo- 
mary meat diet provides. Many of the dietetic 
regimes for old age, notably that of Horace 
Fletcher, have as one of their essential principles 
a marked decrease in the use of meat, or other 
proteins. 

The diet for old age should, therefore, be chief- 
ly vegetarian. The animal foods that are con- 
sumed should be of the more easily digestible 
form. Milk and eggs, while ideal foods for the 
young, are also, because of their easily digestible 
form and freedom from harmful elements, ideal 
foods for any age. After a severe illness, when a 
great amount of bodily tissue has been destroyed, 
large amounts of milk, or eggs, may be advan- 
tageously used for the quick repair of the tissues. 
Because of this fact they are popularly regarded 
as invalid foods. An old man, however, is not 
an invalid. His digestive powers may have been 
weakened by lifelong abuse, and hence special 
care of the diet may be necessary. But such a 
condition does not require that bodily tissues be 
quickly rebuilt, as in the case of convalescence 
from disease; hence what is suitable in the one 
case is not suitable in the other. The easily di- 
gested protein foods are, therefore, to be used by 
the old in moderate quantities only. 

Neither should the old partake heavily of the 
fat of meats, though for somewhat different reas- 
ons. Fat is the most concentrated form of food 

10 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

and the meat fats of high melting point require 
the strongest digestive powers. One of the most 
frequent digestive troubles in advanced years is 
the failure of the digestion of heavy meat fats. 
Here again we should follow Nature's sugges- 
tion. The need for large quantities and con- 
centrated forms of energy-producing food being 
decreased, Nature gives us the hint by decreasing 
our powers of digesting heavy fats. 

But all fats should not be eliminated from the 
diet. The food chemists formerly told us that 
fats served the same purpose in the body as 
starches and sugars. This view they have recent- 
ly been obliged to change. The experience of the 
Germans with fat starvation has clearly indicated 
that starch and sugar cannot replace fats in the 
diet. 

While the chief purpose of fats is to produce 
heat and muscular energy, we now know that 
they serve other needs as well. This is particu- 
larly true of some of the lighter fats, as butter. 
Careful experimentation has recently showed 
that butter fat contains essential food elements 
which cannot be supplied by the manufactured 
substitutes. Fats must, therefore, be included in 
the diet, and the fats selected should be those 
which are easily digested. The fat of milk, 
whether taken in the form of milk, cream, but- 
ter, or cheese, ranks very high. The next choice 
would be vegetable oils, in which list olive oil 
stands first. Fats should always be eaten in 
moderate quantities and mixed with other foods. 

II 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

This end is achieved in millc, in bread and butter 
and in salad dressing. Properly fleshed poultry 
also comes in this class, as the fat is well distrib- 
uted through the meat. The forms of fat which 
are to be avoided are the heavy meat fats, and 
the rich pastries and fried foods. 

Fats are not digested in the stomach, but in the 
small intestine. In fried foods the fat is well dis- 
tributed with other food ingredients, but because 
of the method of cooking the fat is not easily 
separated in digestion, and hence retards the di- 
gestion of other food elements in the stomach. 
In the case of fried foods and pastry the melted 
fat has coated the other food particles, and as 
the fat cannot be digested in the stomach, it 
mechanically prevents normal digestion of other 
foods. 

The group of foods known as carbohydrates, 
which includes starches and sugars, forms the 
largest bulk of any diet. This is especially true 
in old age when the intake of protein and fat is 
decreased. Foods of cereal origin must, there- 
fore, form a large portion of the diet. All cereals 
in their natural and complete state may be used 
and we have, therefore, to ask only the form in 
which they can be most readily digested. Those 
forms of cereal foods to be avoided are: first, 
pastries and hot breads, when made of fine white 
flour; secondly, the denatured cereals, of which 
wheat flour is the chief offender. Natural breads 
made of any whole grain flour, hot or cold, may 
be used freely. Porridges are to be avoided in 

12 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

their mushy state. Rice, oatmeal, hominy, or 
wheat, should, when properly cooked, have the 
grains distinct and not amalgamated in a sticky 
mass. When prepared in such form and eaten 
slowly the digestive juices can freely attack the 
particles. A similar end is gained in the case of 
the popular "predigested" cereals, or breakfast 
foods. The advertised claims of these foods, 
especially as regards predigestion, are sometimes 
exaggerated, but they are wholesome and con- 
venient and may be freely used. 

Starch when digested is changed into sugars; 
hence it serves the same purpose in the body as 
sugar. The desire for sweets is usually stronger 
in youth than in advanced years. This fact is 
to be explained not so much by any definite use 
to which the elements are put in the body, but 
by the great demand of the appetite of youth for 
any available nutriment. Sugars may be consid- 
ered as a naturally predigested food, and may 
be used in the quantity which would be available 
in a well selected natural diet including sweet 
fruits and honey. But by the artificial process 
of manufacturing pure sugars from cane juice 
or cornstarch, the proportion of sugar has been 
enormously increased in our modern diet. The 
effect is similar to that of any effort to relieve the 
digestion of its normal functions. In the vigor 
of youth, when the digestive powers are ample, 
this may not be a serious matter, but in advanced 
life, when these powers are declining, we cannot 
afford to do anything to hasten the process. The 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

youthful sweet tooth is not so much a natural in- 
stinct as a desire for highly flavored food. It is 
an appetite that should not be encouraged at any 
time, and should be carefully corrected with ad- 
vancing years. This end can be gained most 
satisfactorily by decreasing the use of artificial 
sugar and confining the sweets eaten almost 
wholly to moderate quantities of sweet fruits and 
honey. When artificial sugar is used it should be 
brown and not white. 

I have thus far discussed the. use of the three 
principle food groups, that is, protein, fats and 
carbohydrates. These are the three chief groups, 
however, only in the sense that they form the 
largest proportion of the diet. Because of this 
fact they have been considered by food scientists 
as the only dietetic elements needing attention. 
I have long maintained that this was an erroneous 
and harmful view. Within the last few years 
the dietetic ideas which I have long endorsed have 
received a great deal of attention on the part of 
scientists who, at this late date, seem to have just 
discovered that certain elements which exist in 
the diet in compartively small quantities are of 
vital importance. The exact technical names for 
these minor though vital food elements need not 
trouble us here. In a general way they fall into 
two groups known as mineral salts and vitamines. 
Scientific attention was directed to these ele- 
ments by the investigation of what are known as 
deficiency diseases, such as beri-beri and pellagra, 
and by means of experiments on animals it has 

14 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

been amply demonstrated that a diet containing 
ample quantities of protein, carbohydrates and 
fats may be wholly insufficient to support life. 

Neither animals nor men living in the state of 
nature know aught of chemistry; yet their diet 
is sufficient for their needs, and that diet, at 
least in the case of man, is a varied one, made 
up of many natural foods. But the diet of civi- 
lized man is made up almost wholly of the foods 
which could be found or produced in the largest 
quantities, and which could be stored or handled 
in commerce. These foods supplied sugars, fats, 
starches and proteins in abundant quantities. Ber 
cause of their perishibility the many fresh vege- 
table substances and fruits are now less used than 
in the natural diet. Thus the civilized diet be- 
came deficient and this deficiency was made worse 
by the absurd folly of denatured and super-re- 
fined foods, of which white flour and granulated 
sugar are the chief offenders. It is only by the 
increased use of fresh vegetables and fruits that 
civilization's mistakes may be remedied. 
Whether this practical end be gained because we 
hold to the theory of the advantage of the natural 
diet, or because we hearken to the chemist's be- 
lated discovery of the importance of vitamines, 
matters not, for the effect upon the body will be 
the same. The vital energies are maintained not 
merely by the three or four elements which make 
up the bulk of our food materials, but by the 
eighteen or twenty elements which they also in- 
clude and which exist in many hundreds of chem- 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

ical combinations. An exact knowledge of all 
this complicated chemistry is unnecessary and 
would be wholly impractical as a guide to living. 
The body is well prepared to eliminate the ele- 
ments that it does not need, if they are taken in 
moderate quantities. It is only when large quan- 
tites of food elements are taken in excess of 
bodily need that trouble arises. 

The diet should, therefore, at all times include a 
variety of food ; and this food variety is not to be 
sought by means of the cook's cleverness in com- 
bining and seasoning flour, fats and sugars in a 
hundred different ways, but by selecting a variety 
of natural foods. In youth and early manhood 
the actual growth of tissue and the excessive con- 
sumption of energy due to greater activity re- 
quires a correspondingly greater portion of the 
proteins, starches and fats. But the use to which 
the mineral salts and vitamines are put is that of 
keeping up the chemical activities of the vital 
organs and nerves and the proper composition 
of the blood, and these needs are imperative as 
long as life lasts. Therefore, since the total bulk 
of the diet is decreased with advancing age, spe- 
cial pains should be taken to see that no es- 
sential decrease be made in those foods which 
supply the mineral salts and vitamines. Starches, 
sugars, fats and meats should be decreased, but 
the use of vegetables, greens, fruits, milk and eggs 
should by all means be continued. In the selec- 
tion of vegetables an ample variety is of im- 
portance. 

16 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

The group of vegetables derived from the 
leaves and tender shoots are highly essential. 
Such leafy vegetables, or "greens," contain large 
quantities of chlorophyl, the green coloring mat- 
ter of plants. It is in these green cells that the 
inorganic mineral elements absorbed from the 
soil are transformed into the organic mineral 
salts that support animal life. These chemical 
changes are brought about by the energy of sun- 
light. Without this agency for transforming in- 
organic into organic food animal life could not 
exist. Much of this organic material is stored in 
fruits and seeds, but the vital salts are found in 
greatest abundance in the live cells of the active 
green plant tissue. Except for the occasional 
use of a few leaves of salad these green plants 
have largely disappeared from the conventional 
diet. I know of nothing in the field of diet that 
will result in more speedy improvement than 
the increased use of green vegetables. This is 
especially true in old age when the problem of 
diet consists in finding a way to cut down the 
quantity of heavy foods without eliminating any 
of the essential salts or vitamines. 

A valuable lesson may be learned from live- 
stock feeders. When grass comes in the spring 
the horses pick up in condition and the milk yield 
of cows improves in quantity and quality. Hogs 
and poultry show equal benefits from the addi- 
tion of even a small quantity of greens to their 
diet. So great is the benefit from eating greens 
that medicinal qualities are commonly ascribed 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

to the various green vegetables. As a matter of 
fact the improvement in health which follows the 
use of such foods is simply the natural result of 
the adoption of a complete diet of true food ele- 
ments which no drugs can supply. 

The root vegetables are not so important as 
green vegetables, for they consist more largely of 
starches and sugars. Fruits are extremely val- 
uable, as they supply organic acids which are es- 
sential and especially helpful to digestive ac- 
tivities. The citrus fruits may be freely used at 
all times ; so indeed may all fruits, as none of 
them supply a sufficient bulk of nutriment either 
to endanger the digestive power, or to greatly 
increase the total quantity of nutriment taken. 
The sweet fruits, such as raisins,dates and figs, 
constitute a possible exception to this rule. These 
fruits, in addition to containing a variety of food 
elements, contain a large quantity of sugar. This 
is indeed the most desirable form in which sweets 
can be eaten, and no caution is needed here ex- 
cept that when the*y are used a corresponding de- 
crease should be made in cereals, or other heavy 
foods. 

The chief caution that need be exercised in the 
use of vegetables or fruits is to avoid any sorts 
that are found to result in unfavorable digestive 
symptoms. Cabbage, especially when cooked, is 
a notable offender. Because the list to choose 
from is so large, there need be no argument about 
the dropping out of any particular vegetable or 
fruit that results in digestive disturbances. 

18 



FOODS TO KEEP ONE YOUNG 

Nuts have generally been recommended as an 
ingredient of a natural diet. As nuts add a 
variety to the diet they may always be used mod- 
erately, but they are rich in fats and protein and 
therefore a very concentrated form of food; 
hence there is no occasion for their heavy use in 
old age. Moreover nuts are difficult to masticate, 
and where the teeth are not sound should be 
avoided. The latter difficulty may be overcome, 
however, by the use of nut butters ; hence these in 
moderate quantities are permissible. 



19 



LESSON XX 
How Much Food and How Often 

AT least nine out of ten reports of the life and 
habits of those who have reached an especial- 
ly advanced and vigorous old age will be found 
to cite a temperate diet as one of the reasons for 
long life. A temeprate diet may mean the elimi- 
nation of alcohol, meat, pastries and other injur- 
ious forms of food or drink, or it may mean mere- 
ly being temperate in food quantity. 

I have already emphasized the importance of 
cutting down the quantity of food as the years 
advance. In all cases this is necessary, because 
of the decreasing need for food, but it is especial- 
ly necessary when in early life more food has 
been consumed than has been needed and a habit 
of excessive eating has been formed. Such a habit 
may have overtaxed the powers of the digestive 
and excretory organs and thus left them in a 
weakened condition. Where such weakness exists 
the importance of discontinuing the abuse is the 
greater. Overeating is at all times harmful, but 
while the young indulge in it and notice little ill 
effect, the continuance of the vice into old age 
invariably results in disease and shortened life. 

Efforts to prescribe a given amount of food are 
always impractical. If food could be measured in 
pints or pounds we might arrive at some useful 

20 



HOW MUCH FOOD 



conclusions in the matter. But this cannot be 
done, as the amount of nutriment varies widely 
with the chemical composition and the propor- 
tion of water contained in the various foods. 
Theoretical scientists attempt to prescribe dietar- 
ies containing so many calories — the calorie 
being a scientific unit whereby the heat or energy- 
producing value of the food is measured. This 
standard may be all right for scientific investiga- 
tion, but in practical life it is useless, as it con- 
fuses and complicates matters and ignores utter- 
ly the minor though essential food elements re- 
ferred to in the last chapter. Moreover every 
individual is a law unto himself, and his food 
needs vary according to his physical frame, his 
activities and his digestive powers. 

In practice each individual must decide the 
quantity of food he requires, and learn to rejy 
upon the dictates of an enlightened appetite and 
the observation of the effects of a given quantity 
of food upon his health and weight. 

In order that the appetite may form an intelli- 
gent guide to our eating, we must first eliminate 
the false appetite created by excessive indulgence 
in food, wrong habits of eating and the use of 
stimulating and highly flavored food. In order to 
cultivate a true appetite, one must adopt simple 
foods with natural flavors. At first these may 
not seem attractive, but the palate will soon learn 
to prefer them to more highly flavored dishes. 

To the power of habit we often have added that 
of prejudice, which, at least among the more 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

prosperous class, has condemned some of our 
best and simplest foods as being too "common" 
for the well-to-do. Silly pride which causes many 
people to indulge in costly food, when the less 
expensive would serve the purpose as well or bet- 
ter, should find no place in the mind of the seeker 
after health and long life. But even when such 
pride and prejudice in one's own mind is over- 
come, the health seeker may still have to reckon 
with the' opinions of his family and friends. He 
may be indulgently smiled at, or openly dubbed 
a crank, or fanatic. But this silly and small- 
minded opposition must be met with a firm and 
patient perseverance, and when the beneficial re- 
sults of dietetic reform have become apparent 
conventional opposition is easily overcome. 

Not only should one so direct his diet and train 
his appetite that simple foods will be relished at 
the beginning of the meal, but the meal should be 
of such size that the appetite for such simple 
food will last throughout. Little benefit will be 
gained from abstinence from highly flavored 
foods at the beginnnig of the meal, if simply 
cooked dishes are followed by a variety of curious 
and highly flavored desserts which one continues 
to eat after the true appetite has been satisfied. 

Not only do highly flavored dishes entice us 
to eat to excess, but dishes so prepared that the 
meal is eaten too rapidly will defeat the end 
sought.. The careless, heavy eater, when partak- 
ing of the conventional dinner, eats until the 
amount of food taken gives a sense of fullness, 

22 



HOW MUCH FOOD 



or even actual distress, in the stomach. The more 
you learn to rely on a true appetite to tell you 
when to rise from the dinner table the less dis- 
tress you will have after eating. The advice to 
leave the table while still a little hungry cannot 
be improved upon. Putting the same idea into 
different words I would say, "Rise from the 
table when you cease to relish unseasoned foods 
and cast about for sweets, pickles, or other rel- 
ishes and desserts." 

A wide variety of food is desirable as a means 
of insuring a sufficient supply of the lesser known 
elements, some of which are apt to be lacking if 
only a few foods are eaten ; but a wide variety of 
foods in the diet does not imply a large number 
of disTies at a single meal. The body can store 
even the more bulky food elements for many 
weeks or months, and scarcer food elements for 
perhaps even longer periods; hence there is no 
advantage to be gained from trying to eat a large 
number of different foods at a single meal. On 
the other hand there are two distinct disadvant- 
ages from this custom. One is that it increases 
the temptation to overeat, the other that it com- 
plicates the process of digestion. 

Some years ago the Russian scientist Pavlow 
made the remarkable discovery that the digestive 
juices vary, not only in quantity but in quality, 
according to the foods taken. This difference in 
the composition of the digestive juices in the 
stomach is not determined by the presence of the 
foods in the stomach so much as by the sight, 

23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

flavor, odors and taste of the food as eaten. This 
discovery teaches us two lessons. One is the im- 
portance to digestion of a proper manner of 
eating, with sufficient time to fully taste and 
enjoy foods. The other is the great importance 
of simple meals and simple foods. The greater 
the number of foods eaten at one meal the less 
perfect would be the adaptation of the digestive 
juices to particular foods. Moreover Nature's 
provision can hardly be expected to take care of 
the more complex concoctions of the cook. 
Simple foods taken in as nearly their natural 
state as possible and a few foods at a meal are, 
therefore, more easily and more fully digestible 
than a larger variety of foods subjected to a 
greater amount of manipulation. 

One of the most remarkable women that I have 
ever met lived to be eighty years of age, although 
she was given up to die of rheumatism when she 
was forty. An especially remarkable feature of 
this woman was her activity and brightness, even 
brilliancy, of intellect. She was as active as a 
sixteen-year-old girl, her mind clear as a bell up 
to the last day of her life. 

And her habits of eating were unique. She 
would eat but one article of food at one meal, 
though she would thoroughly satisfy her appetite 
with that food at that particular meal. She would 
always select a food that made a strong appeal to 
her appetite. She believed in a variety of foods, 
but only one kind of food at one meal. Some- 
times she would eat two meals a day and some- 

24 



HOW MUCH FOOD 



times one meal a day. She never ate salt, pepper, 
nor condiments of any kind. She no doubt learn- 
ed the danger of salt in her experience with 
rheumatism. Salt, especially as one advances in 
age, is liable, in some individuals, to aggravate 
rheumatic symptoms. 

I mention this extreme case of rigid dieting to 
show the danger of too much variety at one meal. 

Ample variety may be introduced into the diet 
by changing the foods from meal to meal, and 
such variety should be sought mainly in the field 
of fruits and vegetables, the chemical contents of 
which vary widely and from which we draw our 
mineral salts and vitamines. With cereals and 
animal products there is less occasion for a 
variety, and such foods as bread, milk, butter and 
eggs may be used daily, or even at every meal. 

The number of meals taken a day is important 
in governing the quantity of food eaten. The 
American habit calls for three square meals a 
day. As American habits were originated by a 
hard-working set of pioneers, the American 
square meal is customarily a heavy one. For a 
number of years I have advocated the two-meal 
plan as being the simplest way to overcome the 
tendency toward an excessive diet. A careful 
inquiry instituted among physical culturists 
who have adopted the two-meal plan shows that 
in the great majority of cases the total amount 
of food eaten is considerably reduced by such a 
regimen. 

This plan enables the man who would limit 

25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

his diet to continue to dine at the conventional 
table and partake of the usual servings of food. 
Where the constitution is vigorous and the di- 
gestive powers ample I consider the two-meal-a- 
day plan equally good for the young and old. 
But in cases of weakened digestion, or in old 
age, where the general constitutional vigor has 
suffered considerable decline, I deem it best to 
eat more frequently and to cut the food quantity 
by eating considerably less than the conventional 
meal. Even where only two meals are eaten by 
those engaged in physical labor only one meal 
need be a full dinner, as we ordinarily under- 
stand it. The first meal, if taken in the morning, 
should be moderate in quantity and preferably 
composed entirely of acid fruits. If all meals are 
carefully planned as to both quality and quantity 
of food and no foods that are heavy and difficult 
of digestion are used, the aged may partake of 
more frequent meals, thus duplicating at the end 
of life the conditions of its beginning. The baby 
requires very little food at one time, but requires 
it often — as opposed to the carnivora, which eat 
only once a day, or once every two or three days, 
and then stuff themselves with food, so that they 
have to lie down and sleep for many hours there- 
after. Just here, however, I must issue an im- 
portant warning. Babies are too often overfed; 
they are given too many meals a day, and we 
must not draw conclusions from wrong practices. 
The Italian writer Cornaro, who lived in Venice 
400 years ago, took four meals a day. These 

26 



HOW MUCH FOOD 



were all very light, one egg (without bread and 
butter) being a very hearty meal for him. Cor- 
naro wrote three books on diet and longevity, 
the first when he was eighty-three years of age, 
the last when he was ninety-five. He died, "with- 
out agony, sitting in an elbow chair, being about 
one hundred years old." Of his eating habits he 
writes as follows: 

* There are old lovers of feeding who say that 
it is necessary they should eat and drink a great 
deal to keep up natural heat, which is constantly 
diminishing as they advance in years; and that 
it is, therefore, their duty to eat heartily, and of 
such things as please their palate, be they hot or 
cold, or temperate ; and that, were they to lead a 
sober life, it would be a short one. To this I 
answer that our kind mother, Nature, in order 
that old men may live still to a greater age, has 
contrived matters so that they should be able to 
subsist on little, as I do, for large quantities of 
food cannot be digested by old and feeble stom- 
achs .... By always eating little the stomach, 
not being much burdened, need not wait long 
to have an appetite. It is for this reason that dry 
bread relishes so well with me ; and I know from 
experience, and can with truth affirm, I find such 
sweetness in it that I should be afraid of sinning 
against temperance, were it not for my being 
convinced of the absolute necessity of eating of 
it, and that we cannot make use of a more natural 
food. And thou, kind parent. Nature, who act- 
est lovingly by thy aged offspring, in order to 

27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

prolong his days, hast contrived matters so in 
his favor, that he can Hve upon very little ; and, 
in order to add to the favour, and do him still 
greater service, hast made him sensible, that, as 
in his youth he used to eat twice a day, when he 
arrives at old age he ought to divide that food, of 
which he was accustomed before to make but two 
meals into four; because thus divided, it will 
be more easily digested; and, as in his youth he 
made but two collations in a day he should, in 
his old age, make four, provided, however, he 
lessens the quantity as his years increase. 

"And this is what I do, agreeably to my own 
experience; and, therefore, my spirits, not op- 
pressed by much food, but barely kept up, are 
always brisk, especially after eating, so that I am 
obliged then to sing a song, and afterwards to 
write. 

"Nor do I ever find myself the worse for writ- 
ing immediately after meals, nor is my under- 
standing ever clearer, nor am I apt to be drowsy, 
the food I take being in too small a quantity to 
send up any fumes to the brain. Oh, how ad- 
vantageous it is to an old man to eat but little! 
Accordingly I, who know it, eat but just enousfh 
to keep body and soul together." 

Food quantity cannot be accurately prescribed ; 
first, because there is no practical system of meas- 
uring, second, for the reason that eirery in- 
dividual is a law unto himself. A man who has 
carefully worked out the amount or the composi- 
tion of his diet, and who attempts to prescribe 

28 



HOW MUCH FOOD 



his own regimen for others, is making the same 
mistake as does the man who, having decided the 
type and size of the shoe that fits his feet, should 
urge all others to wear the same. I can be of 
better service to you, therefore, not by attempt- 
ing to tell you how much you may eat, but by 
telling you how you may best discover for your- 
self how much you should eat. The following 
menus, therefore, are merely suggestions, giving 
an approximate idea of the amount of food re- 
quired by a man over sixty of sedentary occupa- 
tion and taking perhaps an hour or two a day of 
exercise in the open air : 

Specimen Menus 
Upon Arising 

One or two glasses of hot or cold water, as desired. 

For Breakfast 

An orange, apple, or any appetizing acid fruit, or a 
half glass of grape juice. 

Luncheon 

(Preferably taken at about 12 or i P. M.)* 
Two slices of whole-wheat bread, with butter. 
A glass of buttermilk. 
A green salad. 

Dinner 

A bowl of soup. 
Small serving of fish or poultry. 

Two slices whole-wheat or rye bread. Moderate help- 
ing of cooked vegetable. 
Stewed fruit. 
(Dinner is preferably taken at noon if convenient.) 

Upon Arising 

One cup of hot milk. 

29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Breakfast 

Acid fruit served with berries, chopped figs or well 
ripened bananas. 

Luncheon 

Two fresh corn muffins. 
A glass of buttermilk. 

Dinner 

Small oyster stew, or portion of fish. 
Vegetables or salad. 

Two slices of whole-wheat bread with nut butter, 
A dessert of fresh fruit. 



30 



Making Old 
Bodies l:5eNG 

Ohirty -Eight Lessons 
m Bujidinq Vitalitif 
and Neroewrce and in 
thec4n ofPostponi 
Old of a<2 ^ ^ .^ 

Desson 

21 

Bernair Macfadden 




Copyright 1919 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU570003 



*Vi^ 






LESSON XXI 
Fasting and Abstemious Diets 

SENECA — that wise old Roman — said: 
"Men do not die; they kill themselves." 

Certain it is that many of our ills have beea 
brought on by our habits of life, and particularly 
by our foods habits ; and it is equally certain that 
old age is largely due to these causes also. It has 
been said that *'we dig our graves with our 
teeth," and, to a certain extent, that is literally 
true. 

As age advances, the powers of the body grad- 
ually become less. We cannot keep up the in- 
cessant muscular activity which is characteristic 
of youth. Old dogs and cats do not play and 
frolic all the time, as puppies and kittens do; 
men and women cannot play all day, like boys 
and girls. The mental powers, also, tend to 
wane; the mind is less plastic and pliable; the 
senses not so open to impressions. The heart- 
beat is fainter, the respiration is not so deep and 
full, and all the changes which we will find to be 
characteristic of old age supervene. All this 
being true, it is only natural to suppose — what 
scientific investigation proves to be a fact — that 
the digestive organs are likewise weakened, to 
some extent. The stomach cannot digest, the 
intestines cannot handle, the quantity of food 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

which they did years before. Their actions being 
more shiggish, they are easily overworked, and 
then we have symptoms of distress and dyspep- 
sia which may become chronic. 

Again, the digestive juices are not so copious, 
or so powerful, as they were in youth. They are 
weaker and more diluted, and capable of hand- 
ling properly a far less quantity of solid food. 
Especially if we eat the so-called "strong" foods 
— meats, etc. — the digestive system can soon be 
j)ut out of order. 

Further, the eliminating organs are not so 
powerful as they were in earlier life. The skin, 
the bowels, the liver, the kidneys, etc., do not 
function as they once did ; their power and ac- 
tivity are greatly decreased. They are not able 
to throw out of the system the quantity of 
poisonous material they did in youth, or even in 
middle life. Hence they are easily overworked, 
and are apt to break down altogether, if too great 
a strain be put upon them. 

Another fact must not be lost sight of, in this 
connection, viz.: that in old age when the body 
is full grown — when it has reached its maturity, 
and is even tending to shrink or become smaller, 
with passing years — the same amount of food is 
not required as was necessary when the body was 
growing rapidly, and tissues, cells and organs 
increasing in size and power all the time. After 
the full stature has once been reached, only 
enough food is needed to keep the body-weight 

4 



FASTING 



up to normal ; and if there be little exercise, this 
is surprisingly small in amount. 

For all these reasons, therefore, the quantity 
of food necessary for the old person is far less 
than has been supposed — much less than is neces- 
sary in youth or in maturity. Only the false idea 
that the aged must have "strong'' food "and 
plenty of it," to "support the strength" — only 
this false doctrine, I say, is responsible for the 
idea that old people should have plenty of food. 
The truth is they should have relatively little, 
as will appear more fully later on. 

There is probably no greater authority upon 
diet for the aged than Sir Henry Thompson, 
whose books. Diet in Relation to Age and Activ- 
ity, and Food and Feeding, are classical. Him- 
self well past eighty, he is assuredly entitled to 
speak upon this vital topic, both from personal 
experience and as a physician who has made this 
question of diet for the aged his lifelong study. 
Writing upon the topic of the quantity of food 
which the aged should eat, he says : 

"As we increase in age — when we have spent, 
say, our first half-century — less energy and ac- 
tivity remain, and less expenditure can be made ; 
less power to eliminate is possible at fifty than at 
thirty, till less at sixty and upwards. Less nutri- 
ment, therefore, must be taken in proportion as 
age advances, or rather as activity diminishes, or 
the individual will suffer. If he continues to con- 
sume abundant breakfasts, substantial luncheons, 
and heavv dinners, which at the summit of his 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

power he could dispose of almost with impunity, 
he will certainly, in time, either accumulate fat, 
or become acquainted with gout or rheumatism, 
or show signs of unhealthy deposit of some kind 
in some part of the body, — ^processes which must 
inevitably empoison, undermine, or shorten his 
remaining term of life. He must reduce his 'in- 
take' because a smaller expenditure is an en- 
forced condition of existence. At seventy, the 
man's power has further diminished, and the nu- 
triment must correspond thereto, if he desires 
still another term of comfortable life. And why 
should he not? Then at eighty, with still less ac- 
tivity, there must be still less 'support.' And on 
this principle, he may long continue . . . . " 

Sir Henry Thompson's views are in accord 
with my own, where one: follows the ordinary sys- 
tem of living; but if a strict dietetic regimen is 
adopted and one lives in accordance with scien- 
tific principles there should be but slight dimin- 
ishment of one's muscular powers, and like Cor- 
naro, the eminent Italian nobleman, one should 
find increased enjoyment of life with added years, 
almost to the time of dissolution, which should 
closely approach or exceed the century mark. 

Cornaro found himself a complete mental 
and physical wreck at forty. Doctors treated 
him in vain, and he saw himself slipping 
rapidly into a premature grave. He accord- 
ingly adopted a system of living, which he 
has given us in his book, The Art of Living 
Long, and which included a reduction in the 

6 



FASTING 



quantity of his food until it averaged twelve 
ounces a day. This regimen he maintained 
throughout all the remaining years of his life, 
except on two occasions when he was persuaded 
by his relatives to take more food and became 
ill in consequence. So far from finding this ab- 
stemiousness burdensome, or life under such con- 
ditions not worth living, he testified that he had 
found his latter years to be "the most beautiful 
period of life" and expressed "an ardent desire" 
that every man should strive to attain his age in 
order that they might experience its pleasures. 

"I desire to bear witness to all mankind," he 
writes, "that the life which I am now living is a 
most vital one, and by no means a dead one ; and 
that it is deemed, by many, a life as full of hap- 
piness as this world can give Nor are 

these diversions and pleasures rendered less sweet 
and less precious through the failing of my sight 
or my hearing, or because any one of my senses 
is not perfect; for they are all — thank God! — 
most perfect. This is especially true of my sense 
of taste ; for I now find more relish in the simple 
food I eat than I formerly found in the most deli- 
cate dishes at the time of my intemperate life 
.... I am certain there is no death in store 
for me save that of mere dissolution; since the 
regular method of my life has closed all other 
avenues to the approach of death, and has pre- 
vented the humours of my body from waging 
against me any other war than that arising from 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the elements of which my body was originally 
formed." 

This is. a fine example of a man who grew old 
naturally and simply — in accordance with the 
laws of Nature. None of the senses, it will be 
observed, were in the least impaired, even at that 
advanced age; they were^ all perfect, just as 
they are in animals who live simply and natural- 
ly. Life then wanes, and goes out naturally, as 
it was intended to, instead of by the violent and 
unnatural ways to which we are accustomed in 
our fetid civilization. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that the old 
idea that the aged must be fed frequently with 
"nourishing food," is a delusion. It may not be 
advisable to follow the example of Cornaro liter- 
ally, but it is a fact that one of the chief causes 
for premature aging and the degenerative 
changes in the tissues which accompany it is to be 
found in an excess of nourishment. How is it 
that such a mischievous delusion could have been 
so long tolerated; and in fact actually fostered 
and encouraged by the medical profession? 

It has all arisen from the false idea that we de- 
rive our strength solely from the* quantity of food 
we eat; and that the more food we eat the 
stronger we become! In spite of the fact that 
experienced nurses and doctors — from Florence 
Nightingale onward — have railed against this 
false doctrine, it is one which has persisted none 
the less ; and the present false ideas are. all due 
to this teaching. 



FASTING 



As a matter of fact, any food which a man eats, 
over and above what he actually requires, simply 
poisons and weakens him. If food is not properly 
digested and assimilated by the body, toxins 
(poisons) are formed, and these impair the tis- 
sues, poison the nerve-cells, and prevent their 
proper functioning. The thing to do, in such 
cases, when the patient feels weakened, is not to 
give him more food, but to get rid of the poisons 
which have accumulated within the body; and 
this is done by stimulating the activity of the 
excretory organs, and by preventing the admin- 
istration of any more food until these poisons are 
completely eliminated. 

The fact that food does not necessarily give 
strength, but may be a poison, is proved by the 
fact that a man, when he is ill, does not crave food 
but on the contrary turns against it. This is the 
voice of Nature, which thus says as plainly as 
possible that no food is required. If a man is 
weak and ill, it is not due to lack of food, but 
to the fact that his body is poisoned; and as 
these poisons are disposed of he will increase in 
health and strength. 

The whole doctrine of fasting may be summed 
up in these few words : "If you feed a sick man, 
you feed, not the man, but the disease." Or, "If 
you feed a sick man, you starve and poison him 
at the same time." 

This is proved by the fact that many patients, 
no matter how much food they eat, constantly 
lose weight; in fact they lose more weight when 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

they are eating heartily than when they are not 
eating at all ! 

No one need be afraid of starving by depriving 
the body of food for a day or two. It has been 
proved, by numerous experiments, that most per- 
sons will not starve in less than a month; and 
many people have fasted nearly double that 
length of time (drinking only water), and have 
not starved to death, but on the contrary, have 
cured themselves of chronic diseases thereby. 
Of course if one is in delicate health through 
poor assimilation, and much below normal 
weight, fasting may be inadvisable and should 
then only be undertaken under the supervision 
of a physician who can watch the heart-beat and 
other symptoms of possible excessive weakness. 

The patient may feel weak, if food is taken 
away from him, for a time; but this feeling is 
due to the fact that food is a stimulant ; and the 
sudden withdrawal of any stimulant will result 
in a feeling of weakness. If you deprive the 
drunkard of his whiskey, he will collapse; but 
this does not prove that the whiskey supplied 
strength to the subject. It merely shows us that 
the body misses its customary stimulant. It is 
the same with food, which, as we have said, is a 
stimulant. A feeling of weakness may be noted, 
at the beginning of a fast ; but this feeling is de- 
lusory, and if the fast be persisted in, it will pass 
off; and with it will also pass the condition which 
necessitated it. 

Is it safe for old people to fast? Assuredly, if 

10 



FASTING 



they are in such a condition as to render a fast 
advisable — and any condition in which there is 
an accumulation of poisons in the system re- 
quires abstinence from food. A prolonged fast 
is not usually required in such cases ; but a series 
of short fasts, or a rigidly abstemious diet, cover- 
ing a longer period of time, will often have the 
effect of making over the patient, and restoring 
him to complete health, when every other means 
has been tried, and failed. If the simple rule of 
ceasing to eat as soon as the appetite is lost were 
obeyed, fasting would never be necessary, for the 
system would not then accumulate poisons ; but 
as most people disregard this signal at times, 
there are few who are not benefitted by an oc- 
casional fast. 

Fasting is simply a method of ridding the 
system of the waste matter and poisons which 
may have accumulated as the result of our 
methods of living. It is not a great ordeal ; it is 
not terrible ; people do not "starve to death," as 
they think, if they go without food for some days, 
or even some weeks, in their endeavor to regain 
health. We lose weight with the same ease that 
we take it on. For the first day or two, it is 
true, unpleasant sensations are often experienced 
— an "all-gone feeling'' in the stomach, due to 
the fact that the stomach, which has been in the 
habit of receiving food "ever so often," craves 
its customary stimulant. This is known as "habit 
hunger." After a day or two, this goes away, 
and, thenceforward, it is not noted again, until 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the time to break the fast. Those who contem- 
plate fasting should first of all read the literature 
upon the subject — the books by Hazzard, Sin- 
clair, Carrington, the material published in Vol- 
ume III of the Physical Culture Encyclopedia, 

Let me again emphasize the fact that fasting 
is not dangerous for the aged, if properly con- 
ducted. On the contrary, it is the great health 
— and vitality — ^giver. But it should be under- 
taken judiciously. If possible, the patient should 
thoroughly familiarize himself with the theory 
of the treatment, and the literature of the sub- 
ject, before taking a fast, so that he will under- 
stand what he is doing, and will not be afraid of 
any symptoms wihch may develop. 

My advice, then, to the aged, is simply this: 
Eat very moderately at all times — not more than 
you feel you really need, and of simple foods. 
Masticate each portion of food very thoroughly, 
and make up for difficulty in doing this by 
using liquid and soft foods — in place of the foods 
which were formerly eaten readily, when the 
teeth were in sound condition. Eat enough to 
keep up the weight of the body, but considerably 
less than in maturity, and whenever the appetite 
fails to appear, stop eating until it manifests it- 
self unmistakably. If necessary, skip one, two, or 
half a dozen meals, to insure this. If you are 
in any way ill or indisposed, fast completely — 
taking water — until you are again well and feel 
normal. Do not be afraid to do this, under the 
impression that you must have food, in order to 

12 



FASTING 



"keep up your strength." For let me reiterate, 
food eaten under such circumstances does not 
strengthen; on the contrary, it weakens and 
poisons you. Obey these simple rules of health 
and you will preserve and maintain your youth, 
health and strength far beyond the **three score 
years and ten" which is supposed to be the allot- 
ted age of man. Remember Cornaro — who at 
forty was a wreck, but who at more than eighty 
began to write his book, and lived till well over 
a hundred, in perfect health and spirits, with 
senses keen and intellect unimpaired, simply by 
following out the simple suggestions herein con- 
tained. "Go thou and do likewise!" 



13 



Making Old 
Bodies "feoNG 

Ohirty -Eiqht Lessons 
m Building Vitahtij 
and Neroewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponi 
Old dlqe ^ ^ ^^ 

Cessans 

22 and 23 

Beinan Macfadden 




Copyright 1919 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU570003 



'VO 






LESSON XXII 
A Stomach Tonic 

NEARLY all sedentary workers fail to drink 
a sufficient quantity of water. This, to a 
large extent, results from the fact that the mind 
is so closely occupied with other matters that the 
sensation of thirst is unable to thrust itself upon 
one's mentality. One will become thirsty with- 
out realizing it, and when this sensation has been 
ignored again and again there comes a time when 
it fails to "register;" in other words, one loses 
the sense of thirst, unless it happens to be un- 
usually keen, as the result of some unwonted 
activity or heated weather. It is therefore ad- 
visable, in nearly all cases, to encourage the in- 
clination to take more liquid. Have water handy 
at all times, that you may drink it frequently. 

The stomach tonic that I am going to describe 
will not only furnish a copious supply of liquid, 
but will also supply important nourishing ele- 
ments. It can be taken frequently to allay thirst 
and can be used instead of water, either with 
meals or between meals, as the digestive effort 
required in absorbing the nourishment contained 
is slight. 

This tonic is made from vegetables of various 
kinds. Any sort of edible green stuff taken 
from the garden can be used in its preparation — 

3 



MA KING OLD BODIES YO UNG 

cabbage, onions, tomatoes, turnips, potatoes, 
beets, carrots — in fact every edible vegetable 
that grows. The vegetables should be cut up fine 
that the water may more easily absorb their nu- 
tritive elements, and should be simmered slow- 
ly — never boiled — until all the "taste" has passed 
from them into the water. This will require from 
two to three hours. 

A very good combination is made from to- 
matoes, onions and cabbage. Use about a half 
pound each of these vegetables to three quarts 
of water. Salt can be added to the drink if de- 
sired, though the effect is better if it is used with- 
out the seasoning. 

In some cases this drink is valuable to use while 
fasting, many unpleasant symptoms associated 
with the fast being absent when it is taken. 
Naturally, the • fast cannot be called complete 
when such a drink is used, but as before stated, 
the elements of nourishment which it contains 
require but trifling effort on the part of the di- 
gestive organs. A fast can undoubtedly be con- 
tinued with benefit while absorbing this stomach 
tonic to the extent desired. 



LESSON XXIII 
Correct Body Weight in Old Age 

OBESITY is one of the most destructive of 
old age diseases ; yet it has popularly been 
considered a sign of both financial and physical 
prosperity. Not only has the lay mind made 
this grave error, but physicians and scientists 
have until recently upheld the notion that the 
correct weight for an old man was greater than 
for a young man in the prime of life. The numer- 
ous published tables giving the "correct" weight 
for men at various ages have been made by taking 
the average weight of all men at the various 
ages. So prone are old men to suffer from the 
disease of obesity that these average weights 
for old men have been greatly in excess of the 
proper weights. Left to their own resources 
old men have died of obesity. Following the 
false guidance of these incorrect tables of weight 
they would still die of obesity. 

So lightly do we consider the mere matters 
of health and long life that this encouragement 
to obesity in old men might have gone on in- 
definitely, but when money is at stake science 
speedily corrects its errors. The insurance com- 
panies are financially interested in the long life 
of their policy holders, and a few years ago they 
conducted a thorough investigation of the ef- 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

feet of body weight on the length of life. The re- 
sults were startling. Not only did they find that 
fat men do not live long, but they found that 
old men who are of the average — thitherto called 
the correct — weight do not live as long as do 
the old men who are distinctly under this aver- 
age. Orthodox science, routed out of the ruts 
of popular superstition by the power of money, 
has thus discovered what physical culturists have 
long taught. The muscular body, not the con- 
ventionally approved body rounded out with 
useless fat, is the true measure of the real phys- 
ical condition. 

After the age of maturity the bones and inter- 
nal organs do not change appreciably in weight. 
All further noticeable weight changes are due 
either to changes in the development of the 
muscular system, or in the amount of body fat. 
With a perfect program of physical activity there 
would be but little change in the weight of 
the muscles after maturity. Yet even here the 
lessened activity ^f old age would result in a 
gradual decrease in the amount of muscular tis- 
sue, and if fat is not added, a similar decrease in 
body weight. 

Under conditions of sedentary life this natural 
decrease of the muscular tissue is greatly exag- 
gerated, and hence the active weight of the body 
declines rapidly with advancing age. 

The average weight of men five feet eight 
inches in height is: between the ages of twenty 
and thirty, 148 pounds ; between thirty and forty, 

6 



CORRECT BODY WEIGHT 

155 pounds; between forty and fifty, 160 
pounds; between fifty and sixty, 163 pounds. 
The average weight increases fifteen pounds, 
whereas the average weight of muscular tissue 
has probably decreased at least as much as that. 
Hence a man at sixty who carries what he has 
been taught to consider the "correct" weight is 
really thirty pounds overweight. 

Let us see how these conclusions are borne out 
by the death rate. The following table gives the 
facts as found in the insurance records. 
Relation of Weight to Mortality in Men Between 
Fifty and Sixty 
15 pounds underweight to 45 pounds under- 
weight — ^mortality 14 per cent below normal. 
ID pounds underweight to 10 pounds over- 
weight — mortality practically normal. 
15 pounds overweight to 45 pounds over- 
weight — ^mortality 14 per cent above average. 
50 pounds overweight to 80 pounds over- 
weight — mortality 45 per cent above normal. 

Between men averaging thirty pounds under- 
weight and those averaging sixty-five pounds 
overweight there is fifty-nine per cent of differ- 
ence in the death rate. The so-called under- 
weight men, who are really of correct weight, 
distinctly outlive men of average, or so-called 
^'correct" weight. If we turn from statistics to 
individual instances we find these conclusions 
borne out. No one ever heard of a fat centen- 
arian. Frugality of diet and spareness of frame 
are the universal conditions of longevity. Oc- 
<jasional men have chewed tobacco, or drunk 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

whiskey, and otherwise sinned against the laws 
of health, and still reached a ripe old age ; but no 
man has been able to carry a burden of body 
fat much beyond Solomon's age limit. The few 
seeming exceptions have been men who acquired 
their obesity late in life and whose death was 
doubtless hastened thereby. The weight records 
of the insurance companies are made at the time 
the policies are taken out. A few men who were 
obese under fifty have lived beyond eighty, prob- 
ably because they lost their burden of fat; but 
scarcely a case is on record of a man seriously 
overweight between fifty and sixty who has lived 
beyond eighty. 

The fact is that fat, in advanced age, as in 
all other ages in life, is a delusion and a snare; 
a clog upon the body, and an impediment to its 
proper functioning. We know that a dog, or an 
athlete, when in perfect physical condition, 
"has not an ounce of fat on his body," as the say- 
ing is. Why, then, this being so, should it be 
considered a sign of health and strength at any 
other time of life ? Indeed it is a mystery ! And 
this false doctrine has done much to harm and 
destroy many lives before their appointed time. 

Obesity may be truly considered a disease ; yet 
it is rarely reported as the cause of death. This 
is to be explained in part by the fact that doctors 
have been slow to recognize obesity as a disease. 
Fat men most frequently die of diseases of the 
the kidneys or the liver. The death rates from 
Bright's disease and from cirrhosis of the liver 

8 



CORRECT BODY WEIGHT 

are about five times greater among fat men than 
among the thin. The former disease is caused 
by overeating and the latter by the use of alcohol, 
and both in turn cause obesity. Diabetes, another 
kidney disease likewise caused by dietetic sin, 
is typically a disease of the obese. Apoplexy 
and heart disease are but two other forms for the 
taking off of the man who attempts to go through 
life prosperous in form and poverty-stricken in 
health. About the only diseases of which fat 
men do not die are consumption and dyspepsia. 
This does not prove that fatness is a remedy for 
either, but merely that a man cannot have these 
diseases and be fat. 

It is evident that the fat man is not necessarily 
well-nourished, even though his appearance may 
suggest that he is "too well-nourished." Fat 
means simply an over-abundance of one form of 
tissue. It does not mean that there is proper 
nourishment for blood and bone and other im» 
portant fluids and tissues. 

In the determination of the truly correct 
weight for the individual weight tables are apt to 
be misleading. Men's frames differ so that a 
weight table according to height cannot be rigid- 
ly applied. Moreover most men are under-muscled 
just as they are over-fat. Hence they need a 
change in the substance of their weight rather 
than in the reading of the scales. I will give the 
following table of weights in relation to heights 
and ages with the caution that no table should 
be considered an absolute guide. 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 


Table 


OF Weight in Relation to 


Height 


AND Age 


Hei 


■ght 


^^^^ 








Twenty to Thirty to Forty to Fifty to 


Over 


Feet 


Ins. 


thirty forty fifty 


sixty 


sixty 


5 


1 


125 ,. 128 126 


124 


122 


5 


2 


128 130 128 


126 


124 


5 


3 


131 133 131 


129 


127 


5 


4 


134 136 134 


132 


130 


5 


5 


138 14a 137 


135 


133 


5 


6 


142 144 141 


139 


137 


5 


7 


146 148 145. 


^ 143 


141 


5 


8 


150 153 150 


148 


146 


5 


9 


154 157 154 


152 


150 


5 


ilQ 


158 162 159 


156 


155 


5 


11 


162 166 164 


161 


159 


6 




167 172 169 


166 


163 


6 


1 


173 179 175 


172 


168 


6 


2 


179 185 180 


177 


173 


6 


3 


184 190 186 


182 


178 



Most men have at some.time been trained down 
to a condition of hard healthy muscle. This then 
represents for them the ideal weight. If this 
period of full physical fitness has been in the 
prime of life, say between twenty-five and forty, 
it may be considered the maximum healthy 
weight for the individual, and the proper weight 
at any later period of life would be as many 
pounds under that weight as there had been ac- 
tual loss in muscular tissue. Old men who have 
kept up a vigorous athletic life may indeed re- 
tain almost their full muscular power and hence 
the same weight as in their earlier years. In ex- 
ceptional cases, where physical development has 
teen neglected in early youth, a weight of real 

10 



CORRECT BODY WEIGHT 

muscle may be attaind in old age that exceeds 
the weight of youth. 

The problem in any case is to attain a set of 
hard, fat-free muscles and to keep them. Muscles 
are an asset, fat is a detriment. To reach a good 
body weight by substituting fat for muscle is a 
delusion and snare and is more harmful in old 
age than in youth. Get your weight by muscular 
development if you can, but in every case avoid 
fat. You will live longer and live better if you 
are thin, even to the point of impairing your ap- 
pearance, than you will by hiding weak muscles 
under a blanket of deceitful fat. 

The correct body weight can most readily be 
told by the condition of the abdomen. Fat de- 
posits most abundantly here and is most readily 
observable. Abdominal muscles are likewise the 
most essential of any. A man in prime condition 
can feel his abdominal muscles as firm, hard 
ridges. As long as the belly wall is soft and flabby 
and the paunch protrudes, correct weight means 
little. With a firm, hard abdominal wall one 
rarely need worry about correct weight. 

The problem of reducing the weight by elim- 
inating fat is one requiring patience and com- 
mon sense. There is positively no safe way to 
eliminate fat except by correct diet combined 
with exercise. Drug remedies are rarely effect- 
ive, and when they are they produce results by 
destroying the digestion and assimilation. The 
body needs nutriment other than the fat- forming 
elements, and when weight reduction is attained 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

by drugging, the body may be starved of essen- 
tials while non-essentials are eliminated. Fast- 
ing is a far safer method and is equally effective, 
but the simpler method is to abstain from the 
fat-forming foods while continuing the foods that 
supply vitamines and mineral salts and give suf- 
ficient bulk to cause the bowels to function. The 
best foods for reduction are therefore leafy vege- 
tables and the acid fruits, taken with small quan- 
tities of readily assimilable animal protein, such 
as milk and eggs. 

Many misleading dietetic programs claim to 
reduce fat merely by abstinence from a few fat- 
forming foods, as potatoes or sugar. Such pro- 
grams are only effective when the foods eliminat- 
ed have been habitually eaten in excess and when 
they are not replaced with other fattening foods. 

Most of the foods that make up the conven- 
tional diet are capable of producing body fat. 
Food fats quite obviously are, so also are sugar 
and starches — and all grains and breads contain 
starch. Even protein or lean meat can be trans- 
formed into body fat, though with a great burden 
of waste that must be excreted through the kid- 
neys. 

Diet for reduction is, therefore, a matter of 
both quality and quantity, and the reduction of 
the quantity is the more important of the two. 
Any and all of the means suggested to get the 
diet down to just the minimum proportions to 
maintain life's activities are available in a diet for 
reduction, only the course pursued should be 

12 



CORRECT BODY WEIGHT 

more severe until a correct weight has been at- 
tained. 

Over-hasty reduction is to be avoided. The 
body must have time to readjust itself to the new 
condition, and dietetic habits should be acquired 
while reducing that may, with a slight increase in 
quantity, be followed after the correct weight 
has been attained. If more radical departures in 
diet are made there is correspondingly greater 
danger of going back to the old eating habits and 
undoing all your efforts. 

Exercising for reduction needs little special 
discussion. The exercises given for strengthen- 
ing muscles will aid in fat reduction. Every 
muscular exertion consumes fat or fat-making 
foods. If this fuel energy be not supplied, Na- 
ture will draw upon our fat reserve — which is 
indeed Nature's excuse for storing fat. Under 
the condition of alternate fast and famine to 
which the race was formerly subjected the species 
would otherwise have been exterminated. But at 
that the body's fat-storing power would only 
serve for a month or two of famine. Since civil- 
ized man has learned to provide food in fairly 
constant supply the power of fat formation is a 
needless function which, unchecked, becomes a 
destroyer of health and life. 

The question of body weight and obesity for 
women is not altogether the same as for men. 
Extreme obesity is harmful in either sex, but a 
moderate amount of fat on the female body is 
both less objectionable from the standpoint of 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

appearance and less harmful from the standpoint 
of health than is the case with men. 

The explanation of this difference is to be 
found in woman's function of childbearing. 
When food supplies were irregular it was es- 
sential that woman should have more reserve fuel 
to carry her through this period. Hence her or- 
ganism was evolved for an existence compatible 
with the presence of such stored energy. The 
child is not formed, and is but to a slight degree 
nursed, by fat-forming elements, but the pres- 
ence of body fat gave woman the power to keep 
up her own strength while devoting a portion of 
her f aod supply to her offspring. 

The records of the relation of weight to longev- 
ity in woman, therefore, show the same general 
tendency as in the case of men, but in a less 
marked degree. When the childbearing period 
is passed woman should strive to keep her weight 
down to that of a good female figure, for a 
noticeable degree of obesity in elderly women is 
as unsightly as it is unhealthy. Woman's mus- 
cular development is less than man's chiefly be- 
cause she is actually smaller ; hence woman rarely 
appears as heavily muscled, even when her de- 
velopment is normal. The correct weights for 
women, according to height, differ surprisingly 
little from those for men of the same height, the 
difference, with the same relative development of 
muscle and fat, being but from two to five 
pounds less. As a little more fat is permissible 
in the female than in the male the weight table 

14 



CORRECT BODY WEIGHT 

given for men may also be used as a guide for 
women. 

Women above the age of forty-five suffer even 
more frequently than men from obesity, but 
they are rarely so unwilling to make an effort to 
reduce, because they have more regard than men 
for their appearance. The problem of reduction 
for woman, however, often proves more difficult, 
because custom and costume alike deny her the 
privilege of sufficient exercise. If women can- 
not exercise as much as men, they must be even 
more careful as to diet. 



15 



Making Olb 
Bodies IfbiiNG 

Ohirty -Eiqht Cessans 
in Building Vital itLf 
and Neroe wrce and in 
the c4n ofPostpon ina 
Old c/lcie ^ -^ -^ / 

Oessons 

24 and 25 

Bernair Macfadden 



Part Five 

Life Saving Habits 

Comprising Lessons Twenty-Four to Twenty-Nine 

XXIV. Sleep and Rest. 

XXV. Other Forms of Rest. 

XXVI. Keeping the Skin Young. 

XXVII. Hot Water and Its Life Preserving 

Methods. 

XXVIII. Cold Water at Three or Four Score. 

XXIX. How to Dress. 



©CU570003 



"T^o 






LESSON XXIV 
Sleep and Rest 

WE spend one third of our lives in sleep ! 
That is a remarkable thought, when first 
it strikes us ! For, if we do not sleep a full eight 
hours a day during the adult period of our lives, 
we fully make up for it in childhood and old age, 
when more sleep is required. The importance of 
this condition, and the necessity for making sleep 
sound and refreshing is, therefore, manifest. 

We all know that in childhood we sleep a great 
deal ; a baby spends a good part of its life asleep. 
Kittens, puppies, and the young of all animals do 
the same thing. As we grow older we require 
less sleep; but as age advances more sleep is 
again required, especially under the conditions 
of modern civilization. 

If the child does not get enough sleep, it be- 
comes restless and irritible; and, if the depriva- 
tion is prolonged, it will grow old prematurely. 
We have all seen the tired, wan faces of those 
children who have been deprived of the sleep 
they should have had. Girls know very well that 
they must have their "beauty sleep." Older wo- 
men also appreciate this fact, and usually insist 
upon reserving certain nights each week when 
they may go to bed early — to "catch up," as it 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

were, and supply the tired brain and body with 
the rest it needs. 

We cannot keep vigorous and young without 
plenty of sleep. It imparts vitality and resilency 
to the mind and body as nothing else can; and 
the loss of one night's repose is far more detri- 
mental to the body than the omission of even sev- 
eral meals. (In fact, in most cases, the latter 
results only in benefit) . 

Of course, the amount of sleep required differs 
considerably in different cases. We all know 
that Napoleon and Edison are credited with only 
five hours sleep a night ; but if the average per- 
son tried to emulate this example, it would prob- 
ably lead to disastrous consequences. From 
seven to eight hours is probably nearly correct 
for a man, and from eight to nine for a woman. 

Those having nervous, highly-strung temper- 
aments require more sleep than those who lead a 
placid, uneventful inner life. It is the operations 
of consciousness which wear out the nervous sys- 
tem — and it is the nervous system, primarily, 
which requires sleep. But, of course, any kind 
of physical activity or muscular exercise creates 
losses which can only be repaired by sleep, and if 
this is denied, nothing else matters. The retreat 
of the British armies from Mons, at the begin- 
ning of th^ Great War, affords one of the most 
remarkable examples on record of the body's 
imperative need for sleep. The men marched 
for practically five days and nights, without halt- 
ing, and subject to incessant attack. Then they 

4 



SLEEP AND REST 



turned and fought one of the greatest battles in 
history. At the end of that period the men drop- 
ped and slept in their tracks; wounds made no 
difference to them; hunger and thirst were for- 
gotten, swallowed-up in the great, primal need 
for sleep ! Men lay wounded, legs and arms shat- 
tered, chests torn open, maimed and bleeding ; it 
made no difference to them; all they craved was 
sleep — and they slept, in spite of their terrible 
injuries, their hunger, pain, thirst and fatigue. 
In the mud, in water, on the road, anywhere ; it 
made no difference ; all they craved was sleep ! 

This instructive chapter in human history 
shows us how fundamentally important sleep is 
to us, and how the craving for it may swallow 
up even great bodily pain. In fact, it has been 
calculated that, on the average, from a week 
to ten days without sleep is enough to drive a per- 
son insane. 

Roughly speaking, the amount of sleep requir- 
ed corresponds to the amount of mental and phy- 
sical work we are called upon to perform. The 
more activity, the more sleep ; and vice versa. As 
a matter of fact, many people do not arrange 
their lives in this way, and sleep and eat just 
as much when they are doing nothing as when 
they are engaged in the most strenuous activi- 
ties. This is a great mistake, and cannot fail to 
produce harmful results. 

It is possible to sleep too much, as well as too 
little. A certain change in the respiration takes 
place after a cetain number of hour's sleep ; and 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

if the subject does not get up then, but con- 
tinues to doze in slothful idleness, he will not 
only put on weight, but harm himself also. Car- 
bon dioxide will begin to accumulate within the 
system; and the result is that when such a per- 
son does arise he is tired and sluggish, instead of 
fresh and vigorous, as he should be, on arising in 
the morning. 

It is better to wear out than rust out. We can 
all do more work than we actually do, if we 
make up our minds to do so. William James 
wrote an essay on The Energies of Men, in 
which he called attention to this fact. He drew 
attention to the runner who, when on the point 
of giving up, will often experience a "second 
wind" of energy, if he makes one final effort to 
keep up. It is the same with all of usj in the 
race of life. The man who does little mental 
or physical work apparently requires as much 
sleep as the man who does a great deal. If a 
farmer comes to a great city, the noise and the 
excitement wear him out for the first few days. 
After that, he no longer reacts as he did; he 
grows accustomed to it all, and he is no longer 
tired and exhausted. He is, in short, living upon 
a higher plane of vitality. He lives more fully, 
yet he requires no more rest and sleep. This is 
what we should all strive to do — ^to live more 
fully during our waking hours; and then we 
sleep more deeply and restfuly at night, with- 
out necessarily sleeping any longer. 

As age advances, it is certain that more sleep 

6 



SLEEP AND REST 



is required, as a general rule. The activities of 
the body are less, it is true, but so are its powers 
of resistance and recuperation. In order to keep 
the energies of the body at their highest possible 
level, therefore, a plentiful supply of sleep is 
needed. In all cases, where there is worry, ex- 
citement, fretting, or any emotional strain, sleep 
is specially essential. 

While it is true that many old people sleep a 
great deal, there are also those who seem to re- 
quire very little sleep ; they suffer, in fact, from 
continual insomnia, as age advances. This is 
easily explained, in such cases, since the con- 
ditions of life, in old age, more or less remove 
the causes of the exhauston of consciousness. 
We may recall that in persons of advanced years 
the passions retire into the background, while the 
tastes, convictions and character become more 
fixed. Consequently we rarely find that internal 
contest of the man with himself, that struggle 
of noble ideals with selfish tendencies, which 
consume so much of the strength and health of 
youth. It is clear that, in the absence of this 
internal struggle, old men who have preserved 
their vigor must become much less fatigued than 
adults; hence they are liable to insomnia. 

When this is excessive, however, it must be 
checked, and cured; and in such cases insomnia 
is cured by the same methods that cured it at 
any other time of life. The most important 
<5urative measures are the following: 

Warm feet and hands: If the extremities are 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

cold, sleep cannot supervene. They should be 
warmed with fairly vigorous exercises, or in hot 
water, or a hot-water bag may be taken to bed 
to draw the blood to these members and away 
from the brain. 

Air bath: A thorough airing and ventilation 
of the skin for some time before retiring for the 
night is helpful. Even if the weather be very 
chilly, it is well to give the skin a good air bath, 
and allow it to become thoroughly cool before 
getting into bed. The warmth and reaction ex- 
perienced in bed will induce a delightful drowsi- 
ness, and help to induce sleep. 

Late suppers are not to be tolerated, under the 
mistaken notion that there must be "something 
in the stomach" to insure sound sleep. A glass 
of warm milk, slowly sipped, shortly before re- 
tiring, is sometimes permisible ; but as a general 
rule the more empty the stomach the sounder the 
sleep. A glass of water shortly before retiring 
is, however, beneficial. 

Massage is often found very helpful in cases 
of insomnia. Friction also stimulates the skin, 
draws the blood to this part, and hence away 
from the head. For similar reasons hot or cold 
baths are often benieficial. Deep-breathing exer- 
cises, taken for three or four minutes, are also 
great sleep-inducers. 

Position in bed counts for much^ As a general 
rule, the best position is along the front of the 
body, with the head turned slightly to one side. 
The pillows should not be too high. Plenty of 



SLEEP AND REST 



fresh air should be allowed to enter the room 
from opened windows. Keep the surface of the 
body warm in bed, but not too warm 

Above all the mind must be made still and 
inactive. We must not forget that sleep results 
largely from boredom — hence our tendency to 
fall asleep during sermons ! When we cease to be 
interested in life, we fall asleep. But if the mind 
is running along like a mill stream we cannot do 
this; and we should, in such circumstances, try 
to make the mind as quiet and blank as possible, 
by centering or focussing it on one thought, of 
an uninteresting nature, until sleep supervenes. 

One very good method is to imagine (with the 
eyes closed) a black velvet curtain,^ stretching 
away in all directions as far as the eye can reach. 
Look at this curtain. Think of nothing else. Try 
to see it black. Make it as black as possible. 
Notice the folds in the curtain, where there 
should.be shadows. See if these are not blacker 
than the remaining parts. If you can see a per- 
fect black, then your mind will become relaxed; 
and you will fall asleep. 

If you wake tired in the morning, you may 
rest assured that you have not been sleeping 
properly. Either the bed-clothes are too heavy; 
or there is not enough fresh air in the room, or 
your system is poisoned by something you have 
eaten, or by too much food, or you have remained 
in bed too long. You must take care to remove 
these causes, when the symptoms will also dis- 
appear. 

9 



LESSON XXV 
Other Forms of Rest 

AFTER exercise of any kind — mental or phy- 
sical — rest is imperative! Rest is a matter 
of restoration or recuperation. It is necessary 
because we become "tired" with the day's work; 
but before we can understand the necessity for 
rest — what rest actually does for us — ^we must 
first of all see what fatigue is. 

Strictly speaking, there are two kinds of 
fatigue — muscular and nervous. Muscular 
fatigue results when the muscles have been used 
for some time continuously, and refuse to func- 
tion further until they are rested. It has now 
been proved that this sort of fatigue is, in fact, 
an actual jpoisoning of the muscles by "toxins'' 
vvhich^ have accumulated therein. The function- 
ing of the muscles itself produces these "toxins,'* 
or poisons. If you take the muscle of a frog's leg 
and cause it to contract (perform work) by 
stimulating it by an electric current it will, after 
a time, refuse to work any longer. This is due to 
fatigue poisons which have accumulated within 
ihe muscle. If now you wash out the muscle 
by means of a salt and water solution, carrying 
away these poisons, it is at once refreshed, and 
will perform the same amount of work all over 
^gain. This shows us that muscular fatigue is 

10 



OTHER FORMS OF REST 

really due to these poisons, and it also explains 
why it is that a m.an in good physical condition 
(in training) can withstand more exertion than 
the man who is not. His blood is more free from 
these accumulating poisons, and hence it takes 
a longer time to accumulate enough of them to 
stop the action of the muscles completely. It also 
explains to us two other phenomena : ( 1 ) Why 
it is that we feel "stiff" the next day, after un- 
usual exercises. The reason is that these poisons 
have lodged in the muscles, and it takes time to 
remove them. (2) Why it is that all cleansing 
and eliminative measures tend to prevent the on- 
set of fatigue, or dispose of it, once it has super- 
vened. These means simply help the blood to 
carry away the poisons which have been deposit- 
ed in the fatigued muscle. 

There is also another kind of fatigue, however, 
due to the exhaustion of the nerve cells. In this 
case, the muscles may be perfectly fresh, that is, 
they may not have been called upon to perform 
any actual work. 

A helpful picture to carry in mind is, perhaps, 
the following. Picture the little nerve-cells, all 
over the body, as so many little cups, with a tiny 
hole in the bottom, through which water very 
gradually runs away. These cups should be kept 
full of water, to insure the best results. Every 
night we fill up the "cups" with energy; every 
day we expend so much of it in mental or physi- 
cal work, through the passions and emotions, 
etc. So the height of the water in the cups con- 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

stantly varies. If we expend it faster than we 
take it in, the cups become almost empty, and 
nervous exhaustion ensues. Our object should be 
to keep these cups filled, as nearly as possible, 
by means of rest and sleep, wholesome habits of 
life, and the omission of the habits which tend 
to exhaust nervous energy. 

It must not be thought, however, that the way 
to keep the little cups, or nerve-cells, full is to 
sit still and do nothing. Rest and sleep are es- 
sential, it is true ; but the body also calls for exer- 
cise, and wholesome avenues of expenditure. 
The blood, if it is pure, will feed these little cells, 
and supply them with the nutriment they need. 
The chemical character of the blood is another 
matter we must think of, and if it is to remain 
pure, exercise, etc., are essential. 

If you are tired- — chronically tired, "born 
tired" — you may rest assured that you are pois- 
oned throughout. The poisons in the blood have 
been carried to the nerve cells, and have inhibit- 
ed, or prevented, their activity. Tiredness is 
usually a sure indication of chronic poisoning; 
and this in turn is often due to constipation, too 
little water drinking, too little exercise, and a 
system filled with malassimilated food material. 
As Dr. Trail remarked, '^Laziness is a sign of 
disease." 

So the double question presents itself: How 
prevent the accumulation of these poisons which 
induce fatigue; and how get rid of them, once 
they have accumulated? 

12 



OTHER FORMS OF REST 

The answers to both these questions are prac- 
tically identical. The same measures, very large- 
ly, which prevent the accumulation of fatigue 
poisons will also rid the system of them, once 
they have accumulated. 

The measures are simple. In the first place, a 
light diet, composed largely of fruits, with very 
little meat, is essential. Plenty of water — to 
wash the poisons in the system out of it as rapidly 
as possible — is also required. Exercise, to force an 
extra quantity of blood through the sluggish ves- 
sels and carry off the toxic substances which the 
organs and tissues contain is a third essential. 
Bathing is needed to keep the pores open and 
carry away the poisonous substances deposited 
on the skin. Deep breathing exercises are re- 
quired, for similar reasons. Air baths, sun baths, 
and all similar methods of elimination are useful, 
if not essential. Sleep and rest are also very 
necessary. In its last analysis, fatigue is, in prac- 
tically all cases, due to poisons which have been 
allowed to accumulate within the system; their 
elimination rids the body of the causes of this 
condition. 

The only exceptions to this rule are those cases 
in which the nervous exhaustion is due primarily 
to emotional and mental conditions — ^and mental 
causes can be shown to be harmless, also, apart 
from their emotional concomitants. The mind 
does not affect the body; the emotions do. Pas- 
sion is intense emotion of one character ; but any 
emotional influence — rage, anger, fear, pain, etc. 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

— tends to exhaust the nervous powers in the 
same manner. In fact, a shock of any kind seems 
to produce complete nervous exhaustion almost 
instantly. It is as though some giant had taken 
hold of the little "cups" spoken of before, and 
turned them upside down, thus emptying them 
completely. We can only account for this by 
assuming that the emotions tend to discharge the 
nerve-cells, in much the same way that a Leyden 
jar can be discharged by touching it with a metal 
rod, or with the finger. Here, as we know, the 
electric discharge is instantaneous ; it is much the 
same in the case of the nerve-cells when sub- 
jected to shock. 

The only way we can insure the filling-up again 
of these little "cups" — the nerve-cells — is to 
give them adequate rest; plenty of sleep is the 
best thing. Many people fall asleep immediate- 
ly after a shock of any kind — a sure sign that 
Nature is refilling the emptied nerve cells — re- 
charging them — in the shortest time possible. 
Any form of rest does this; but sleep above all 
else. 

There are, however, various other measures 
which will be found useful at such times. We may 
mention a few of these. 

Massage often does much good by removing 
the impurities and soothing the nerve-endings* 
The circulation in the smaller blood vessels is 
stimulated and clogging matter removed. Cir- 
culation is brought to parts which are anemic and 
removed from those parts which are congested. 

14 



OTHER FORMS OF REST 

In all these ways massage will tend to rest the 
tired body and soothe the nerves. 

Another very good method is to employ hot 
water in all forms — hot packs along the spine, 
over the abdomen, across the **solar plexus," etc. 
In insane asylums, when there is great excitement, 
what are known as "prolonged warm baths" are 
often employed. The patient is kept in warm 
w^ater (98** Fahr.) for hours — until the nerve- 
endings all over the body are relaxed, and the ex- 
citement allayed. By their eliminative effect, 
such baths also have a decidedly beneficial in- 
fluence — tending to open the pores of the skin, 
and assist in the elimination of poisons, which 
doubtless irritate the nerves aU over the body. 



15 



Making Old 
Bodies IfbuNG 

OhirtyEiqht l£S5ons 
in Building Vitalitij 
and NerOewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponinq 
Old ciqe ^ ^ ^^ 

Cessans 

26, 27, 28 
and 29 

Beinair Macfadden 



Copyright 19 19 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU57000L^ 






LESSON XXVI 
Keeping the Skin Young 

IT IS not generally recognized that the skin is 
the greatest single excretory organ of the 
body, and that upon the proper performance of 
its functions depends to a large degree the health 
of the individual. The skin is generally regarded 
simply as a covering for the rest of the body, an 
outer garment of tissue which serves to enclose 
and protect the parts within and give symmetry 
and beauty to the human form. While it fulfills 
these ends in a marvellously perfect manner, it 
has functions which are peculiar to itself, and 
which it performs with as wonderfully satisfac- 
tory results as those executed by other organs of 
the body which receive more credit for their 
work. 

The skin is also a great balancer of the temper- 
ature. Cold-blooded animals maintain about the 
same heat as that of the medium in which they 
live, and for this reason they can withstand ex- 
tremes of cold and survive; but warm-blooded 
animals must maintain a more or less constant 
temperature, and if it falls above or below this, 
within three or four degrees, a serious internal 
condition is indicated. 

If the skin is inactive, anemic and cold, it in- 
variably indicates that the internal organs are 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

congested and superheated, to a possibly danger- 
ous degree, and the thing to do in all such cases 
is to restore the activity of the skin, balancing the 
circulation by drawing the blood to the surface. 
It is said that Dr. Trail, the original great water- 
cure doctor of this country, in lecturing to his 
classes, would ask them the same question every 
day, and the class, knowing the answer, would all 
call out in unison. The question was, "When 
you are called to the bedside of a sick patient, 
what is the first thing to do?" And the class 
would respond in unison, "Balance the circula- 
tion!" In order to do this it is only necessary to 
alter the temperature of the skin, usually by 
water applications, such as packs. If the skin is 
hot and feverish, cool water is called for, while if 
it is cold and anemic, hot applications are indicat- 
ed. This subject will be dealt with more fully 
when we come to the question of hot and cold 
bathing, and general hydrotherapeutic measures. 
The skin each day throws out a quantity of im- 
pure material by means of the sweat glands, and 
it is important to keep these active. If the skin 
becomes inactive through inadequate bathing 
and insufficient exercise, it becomes practically 
useless as an eliminative organ, and the result 
is that the other organs of elimination — ^the 
bowels, kidneys, liver, etc. — ^are called upon to 
do extra duty, with the result that if there is a 
quantity of poisonous matter in the system to be 
disposed of, they frequently break down from 
overwork. Of all the eliminative organs in the 

4 



KEEPING THE SKIN YOUNG 

body, the skin is that which is least used, and 
the reason for this is that, owing to our habits of 
smothering the body with clothing, and taking 
too few light and water baths, with too little 
exercise, it becomes unable to perform its proper 
work. 

The skin constantly gives off a slight vapor 
which is called "insensible perspiration." In ad- 
dition to this, active perspiration is often induced 
under the stress of nervous or emotional excite- 
ment, or as the result of active exercises. This 
perspiration, while stimulating the healthful ac- 
tivity of the sweat glands, decreases the amount 
of fluid in the system, and it is for this reason 
that a greater quantity of water should be drunk 
during the summer, or whenever the skin is ac- 
tively perspiring; otherwise poisonous material 
and **salts" suspended in the blood-stream are 
liable to be precipitated, or deposited, in the tis- 
sues and joints throughout the body, causing 
stiffness and ultimately rheumatism and other 
troubles of a more serious nature. 

Of course, one of the best methods of cleansing 
the skin is by hot water baths, using plenty of 
soap and a friction brush. This cleans out the 
pores and leaves them free to deposit on the 
surface of the skin the material which they bring 
up from the sweat glands. These glands are 
coils of infinitely fine tubing, somewhat resemb- 
ling the intestines in their appearance, and their 
office is to gather impurites from the blood 
brought to them by a network of capUaries. They 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

open into the sweat ducts, the pores, as they are 
commonly called, which may be either single or 
branched, and these end in a corkscrew-like pas- 
sage with its opening at the surface. From two 
to three hot baths should be taken feach week, 
though one should be careful not to remain in the 
water too long, as this may tend to have a weak- 
ening effect. After the bath the surface of the 
body should be thoroughly washed off with fresh 
water, preferably cool, since this tends to close 
the pores and increase the tone of the skin by 
healthy stimulation. In this connection it may 
be said that the feeling of cold, or chilliness, 
which frequently results, and of which "goose- 
flesh" is a typical manifestation, is not due to the 
actual temperature of the air, as a rule, so much 
as to the degree of anemia of the skin. 

This may readily be proved by a simple experi- 
ment. Let the patient undress completely in a 
warm room. He will feel chilly after a few 
moments, but if he now walks into a cold room, 
there will be a sudden reaction, and though he 
may feel colder for a few moments, the skin will 
soon begin to glow with warmth, showing that 
the skin is really warmer, though the external 
temperature is colder! This is due to the fact 
that the skin has been rendered more active by 
the stimulus of the colder outer air. 

Sun baths are very valuable as a stimulus to the 
skin. The rays of the sun, particularly the shorter 
rays, probably penetrate some degree below the 
surface, stimulate the blood vessels, act directly 



KEEPING THE SKIN YOUING 

on the nerves, and have other chemical and phy- 
siological effects as yet imperfectly understood. 

The sun's jays are also extremely germicidal 
in their properties, and will kill any parasitic or- 
ganism which may have lodged upon the surface 
of the skin. 

Air baths are also highly beneficial and stimu- 
lating, since they tend to open the pores of the 
skin and induce healthful activity of the perspi- 
ratory glands, as well as of the nerves and blood 
vessels on the surface of the body. It is not gen- 
erally recognized, that the skin actually breathes 
(or should, were it as active as it ought to be). 
In the case of cold-blooded animals it has been 
said that the skin breathes nearly one-seventh 
as much as the lungs, and while this percentage 
is very greatly reduced in all warm-blooded ani- 
mals, it is nevertheless true that the skin should 
assist the lungs in this manner. If it is anemic 
and inactive, however, it cannot do so. 

One of the great means by which the skin is 
rendered inactive is by excessive clothing. 
Woolen clothing, particularly, tends to retain the 
moisture exuded from the body through the 
pores, and thus to maintain a layer of dampness 
over the skin, impeding its reaction and healthful 
activity. This question is, however, dealt with 
more fully in the chapter devoted to dress and 
the clothing of the body. 

Massage is one important factor in stimulating 
the activity of the skin, since it actually manipu- 
lates the nerves and blood-vessels, as well as the 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

glands, and by this mechanical means stimulates 
the circulation and the various activities connect- 
ed with the action of the skin. All active and 
passive exercises, in fact, tend to keep the skin 
in health, and add tone and vigor to it. 

The color of the skin depends upon the outer 
or epidermal layer. If it were entirely removed, 
the surface would be almost a blood-red color, 
owing to the abundant blood-vessels found 
everywhere. Where the epidermis is thickest, as 
upon the palms and soles, we lose almost en- 
tirely the red and have a yellowish gray tint. 
Where it is thinner we have the well-known pink- 
ish flesh color, and when it becomes unusually 
flushed with blood, as in- inflammation and also 
in blushing, the red color predominates, the full 
blood-vessels showing through the epidermis. In 
the negro the dark hue of the skin is due to the 
presence of pigment, or coloring matter, in the 
lowest layers of cells of the epidermis, in the part 
directly above the papillae of the outer skin. The 
corium, or true skin, which is made up of fibers, 
does not at all share in this pigmentation. Where 
there are discolored marks on the skin, as 
freckles, moth-patches, etc., the color is deposited 
in this deeper layer of the epidermis ; hence these 
blemishes are very difficult of removal, because 
in order to remove all the coloring matter at once, 
this portion of the skin would have to be removed 
down to the papillae, as in the case of a blister. 
We can, however, by proper methods, induce an 
absorption of the pigment, or produce rapid 

8 



KEEPING THE SKIN YOUNG 

change in the skin, forming n^w cells which will 
be free from the objectionable pigmentation. 

The amount of poisonous material which the 
skin will eliminate under proper conditions of 
healthful activity is astonishing. This is well il- 
lustrated by those cases in which the sweat glands 
have been altogether stopped up for a time, death 
invariably resulting under such conditions in a 
few hours. This has happened in those cases in 
which the unfortunate subject has been "tarred 
and feathered," and also in one or two cases in 
which, for various reasons, the surface of the 
body has been painted over, or covered with gold- 
leaf or some other impervious substance. Under 
such conditions poisons accumulate so rapidly 
that the other organs cannot dispose of them, 
and, as before said, the subject frequently dies as 
a result. 

A very good test lor the degree of healthful 
reaction of the skin is the following, given by Dr. 
Alexander Haig, the authority on uric-acid 
poisoning, in his little book on Life and Food 
(p. 4). Here he says: **Let any one who eats 
meat and has eaten it for years, be touched, say, 
on the back of the hand with the point of the 
finger. A white mark is made, and the rate at 
which this white mark is obliterated by returning 
color gives the rate of the circulation in the skin 
of the person so touched. Now, if two men are 
compared, one of whom lives on the natural food 
of the frugiverous animal, and the other on the 
unnatural food of the carnivorous animal, it will 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

be found by this test that the skin circulation of 
the carnivorous man is about twice as slow as 
that of the natural-living, f rugivorous man ; and 
it, of course, follows that the man with the slow 
circulation has a slow circulation not merely in 
his skin, which is seen, but in all the organs of 
his body, which are not seen, including the great 
powerhouse of his mechanism, the frontal lobes 
of the brain." 

In this connection it is interesting to note that, 
while all vegetarian animals perspire, carnivor- 
ous animals do not. The dog perspires only 
through his tongue (for this reason it loUs out 
and drops- with water during the hot spells) ; the 
hog only through its snout, etc. Lions, tigers 
and other carnivora do not perspire at all, though 
they are supplied with sweat glands. These, how- 
ever, are entirely inactive. This seems to show 
us, on the one hand, that these animals were 
originally vegetarians, and, on the other hand, 
that any one eating meat in any quantity is not 
intended by nature to perspire. The reason for 
this is obvious. 

If one adds salts to a given quantity of warm 
water, the point is soon reached where the water 
will contain no more salts in solution, and any 
more salts added to the water will be deposited 
in solid form. This is called the "saturation 
point." The same thing happens if, just before 
the saturation point has been reached, a* quantity 
of the water be suddenly evaporated; a certain 
quantity of salts is again deposited. 

10 



KEEPING THE SKIN YOUNG 

Now the blood is a warm fluid, containing cer- 
tain salts and other material in solution ; and if a 
quantity of the blood be suddenly evaporated, as 
it is in perspiration, and the blood loses a large 
percentage of its fluidity in consequence, the re- 
sult is that these salts, etc., are suddenly precipi- 
tated in the tissues and joints throughout the 
body, with the result that aches, pains, rheuma- 
tism, etc., result. The chief factor in the creation 
of these salts and other toxic materials is meat 
and high-proteid substances. For this reason they 
should be taken with due care by any one not 
desiring to run these risks. 

It has been calculated that there are about 
2,400,000 sweat glands in the body, and as each 
gland, when uncoiled, would measure about one- 
fifteenth of an inch, their entire length amounts 
to not less than 153,000 inches, or about 25 miles. 
Thus the activity of these glands will be seen to be 
highly important in the maintenance of health. 

Dr. George Black, in his interesting work on 
the skin, says: **In regard to what might be 
properly called the physiology of the skin, the fol- 
lowing point may be considered with advantage. 
The skin is one of the great emunctory or ex- 
creting organs of the body, and shares very large- 
ly with the lungs and kidneys in the ofiice of re- 
moving the superfluous waste from the system; 
thus the skin removes by exhalation somewhere 
about two pounds of liquid daily, the kidneys 
about the same amount, and the lungs not much 
over one-half or two-thirds as much. It can, 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

therefore, be readily understood how a check of 
perspiration acts disadvantageously by throw- 
ing extra work upon the other organs. These 
three great agents for eliminating or removing 
the water from the system act in harmony and 
interchange in their duties more or less. Thus in 
cold weather, when the skin perspires least, the 
kidneys are more active, and their secretions, as 
also those of the lungs, are more profuse. Hence 
the great danger of their becoming inflamed dur- 
ing this season, and in summer when the perspir- 
ation may be profuse, it is a common observation 
to find the urine more scanty." 

It must always be borne in mind that the ex-, 
cretory organs of the body work in unison, and 
that the work performed by one of them can be 
taken up by another if that one fails to function 
properly. Thus if the skin be inactive, more work 
is thrown upon the lungs, kidneys, etc. ; and, con- 
versely, the more active the skin the less work 
these internal organs have to perform. From this 
it is obvious that, in order to save these organs 
as much as possible, and lengthen thtir life in 
consequence, as much eliminative woi]?: as possi- 
ble should be thrown upon the skin by stimulat- 
ing its activities. By this means the health and 
strength of the internal organs is maintained far 
longer than would otherwise be possible ; and, in- 
asmuch as old age and premature death are the 
result, generally, of the premature breaking- 
down of these organs, and of the poisons which 
are generated within the system in consequence, 

12 



KEEPINGTHE SKINYOUNG 

it will be seen that one of the most effective 
methods of prolonging life, and maintaining life 
at the highest point of efficiency and energy, is to 
maintain the greatest possible activity of the skin, 
thus relieving the inner organs from the work 
which they would otherwise be called upon to 
perform. This is a view which has never been 
sufficiently dwelt upon in books dealing with 
longevity; but that it is an important factor in 
the» preservation of health is apparent to anyone 
studying the general hygiene of the body. For 
the man past fifty, particularly, increased activ- 
ity of the skin is desirable, since the internal 
organs are called upon, as a rule, to perform 
greatly increased activities as the result of the 
previous methods of life, the accumulation of 
poisons within the system: and the lessened pow- 
ers of the organs of elimination above referred to. 

I cannot too strongly insist, therefore, that 
the skin should be kept as active and healthy 
as possible, by means of sun baths, air baths, 
friction baths, with open hands, brushes, or 
rough towels, and by various hydrotherapeutic 
measures, as well as by means of the plentiful 
drinking of water, in order that the strain upon 
the inijer organs of depuration may be relieved. 

The question of the temperature of the various 
water baths, etc., suitable for the purpose, will 
be dealt with in the two chapters which follow. 



13 



LESSON xxvn 

Hot Water and Its Life-Preserving Uses 

IT has been said that "heat facilitates, while cold 
stimulates, function." Cold water, while it 
exerts a useful, tonic effect on the system and 
stimulates its activities, nevertheless requires a 
certain amount of vitality to insure a healthful 
reaction, and if the vitality be low and this re- 
action is not insured, it would be better to use hot 
water, or dry heat, rather than cold in any form, 
to secure the activity of the skin, or the part or 
organ affected. In the preceding chapter we have 
dealt with the necessity for keeping the skin ac- 
tive, thus relieving the internal organs of a large 
part of their work ; also the fact that the temper- 
ature of the water should invariably be jpropor- 
tioned to the temperature of the skin in inverse 
ratio — ^that is, the warmer the skin the cooler the 
water, and the cooler the skin the warmei^ the 
water. 

Hot water, taken internally or applied extern- 
ally, has an extremely valuable effect in purify- 
ing the blood and relieving the system of the 
accumulation of poisons which it contains. This 
is especially necessary in kidney troubles, where 
it is important to increase the fluidity of the blood 
and in which an excess of water tends to wash 
out the poisons and eliminate them from the 

14 



HOT WATER 



system, either through the kidneys or the skin. 
As age advances and the activity of the kidneys 
becomes lessened, the tendency to accumulate 
poisons increases, and it is because of this that we 
find a rapid rise in the number of diseases due to 
defective circulation and defective action of the 
kidneys during the later years of life. Hence 
the necessity for flushing the system by means 
of hot and cold water at this period of life, 
whenever occasion demands; and the reduction, 
so far as possible, of all those foods which tend to 
increase the acidity of the body, or add to the 
toxic substances which it is the duty of the kid- 
neys to separate from the blood, as it flows 
through them. It must always be borne in mind 
that the kidneys do not create poisons; they 
merely act as filters, and separate poisons from 
the blood, storing them up and later discharging 
them from the system. Hence the importance of 
preventing the premature breakdown of these 
important organs. 

Health and youth depend upon a poison-free 
condition. The less poison in the system the 
greater its vitality and its general health. This 
is true even in the inorganic world. The only 
way to increase the activity of radium is to free 
it f#om encumbering substances, with which it 
is usually combined. Professor Chundabose has 
found that metals can become fatigued, appar- 
ently by the accumulation of poisons, in much the 
same way that the muscles within the human 
body do, and this "fatigue" can only be over- 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

come by rest and by the elimination of the ac- 
cumulated poisons. This is doubly true of the 
human body, where poisons tend to accumulate 
rapidly all the time. A great French physiolo- 
gist has, in fact, called the body "a factory of 
poisons." The only reason we do not die, as the 
result of this constant poison-accumulation, is 
that we keep eliminating these elements all the 
time. When this elimination is stopped, death 
rapidly results. But it will be seen that, here as 
elsewhere, "prevention is better than cure," and 
that it would be far better to prevent the intro- 
duction of poisons into the system than to intro- 
duce them, and eliminate them later on. This is 
a useless and extravagant expenditure of human 
energy ; and, more than that, it wears down and 
breaks down the human, mechanism more rapid- 
ly than anything elso. The way to prevent the 
introduction of these poisons is chiefly through 
the regulation of the food supply, and by a plenti- 
ful supply of fresh air and pure water. "If you 
do not put trouble into the body you get none 
out of it," as one author states. 

Warm or hot water is more cleansing than tepid 
or cold, but is debilitating if its use is too pro- 
longed. It is a rule with invalids of feeble circu- 
lation that they can bear extremes of neither hot 
nor cold. Neutral temperature, about 90 de- 
grees, or moderately warm, 83 to 95 degrees, is 
better adapted to their condition. 

Turkish baths, or other methods of promoting 
the activity of the skin, are neither weakening 

16 



HOT WATER 



nor unwholesome if not too prolonged. Many- 
persons have taken baths of this character week- 
ly or semi-weekly for years, and experienced 
nothing but benefit. They should not, however, 
be overdone. If the hot bath is too prolonged, 
the skin becomes congested with blood, so as to 
lose its normal sensibility, and the patient may 
be injured without experiencing any painful de- 
gree of heat. Injurious effects will be exper- 
ienced, in dizziness, faintness, nausea and relax- 
ation of the whole muscular system. The 
rationale of this subject, in its relation to vital 
loss, is exceedingly simple. When the surface of 
the body is exposed to heat many degrees above 
the temperature of the blood, the vessels of the 
skin soon become congested, engorged; and so 
long as the application of heat continues conges- 
tion will increase. Ultimately the vessels become 
so overstretched and relaxed that their vital prop- 
erty of contractibility is, to a degree, lost, and 
they remain permanently congested, with corre- 
sponding loss of function. The idea that extreme 
heat is in any sense "vitalizing" is ridiculous. 
The experience of every person who labors dur- 
ing the heated term and the condition of every 
person who suffers from sunstroke ought to teach 
a different lesson. 

Hot water is also extremely valuable for 
enemas, stimulating the activity of the bowels 
and having a beneficial effect upon the surround- 
ing organs and tissues. Heat applied in this way 
has been found extremely helpful in various 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

female complaints, and, in addition, a certain per- 
centage of the water is absorbed into the blood, 
thus .increasing its fluidity and that of the 
excretions. There is also, of course, the direct 
action of the water on the bowel-contents. The 
water also acts as a healthy nerve-tonic, and has 
a vitalizing effect upon all the organs of the body 
in the immediate neighborhood. 

Hot water can frequently be tolerated in 
stomach disorders where cold water is rejected. 
Being nearer the temperature of the blood, it is 
more readily absorbed, and its action upon the 
system is more immediate than is that of cold 
water. In those conditions where the stomach is 
extremely weak and cannot react readily, hot 
water is frequently advisable, since the stomach 
is doubtless subject to the same reactionary law 
as the skin — that is — it cannot react promptly to 
cold water, hot water had better be used instead. 
In old age, as the vital powers are lowered, the 
reaction to cold is frequently less powerful than 
in youth, so that the more liberal application of 
hot water, internally and externally, is probably 
advisable. At the same time, the eoocessive use 
of hot drinks may tend to devitalize the stomach 
and internal organs in much the same way that 
the activity of the skin will become lessened in 
the absence of the stimulating properties of cold 
air or water. In all such conditions the patient 
should study himself, and as the result of experi- 
ment, ascertain what temperature is best suited 
to his own needs, both in the matter of water- 

18 



HOT WATER 



drinking and in that of external application. As 
Cornaro said, ''No man can be as good a phy- 
sician to another as he can to himself." Each 
individual should study the idiosyncrasies of his 
own organism with the same care he would be- 
stow upon any other piece of delicate mechanism 
requiring adjustment and management. 

Inasmuch, however, as heat, supplied by hot 
water, tends to stimulate the internal organs and 
supply warmth to the body, it is of great use in 
advanced age, where the fires of the system burn 
low, and the body does not so easily maintain the 
same degree of heat that it formerly did. In- 
stead of trying to maintain the heat of the body 
by an excess of food, and particularly fatty foods, 
therefore, it would be far better to take less of 
these and supply the body with heat, by means 
of the more natural method of drinking hot 
water, or taking hot enemas, hot baths, hot 
water applications, etc. 

When we take into account, also, the fact that 
hot water is a great eliminator of poisons, and 
soothes and invigorates the various internal or- 
gans, we can readily see the advantages to be 
derived from its use by those of advancing years. 



19 



LESSON xxvm 

Cold Water at Three or Four Score 

WE have just seen some of the beneficial ef- 
fects of hot water, when properly used; 
now let us see when cold water is advisable, and 
what are the benefits to be obtained from its use. 

In the last chapter it was stated that "heat 
facilitates, while cold stimulates, function." This 
gives us a very good clue to the primary proper- 
ties of cold water in any form — it is a tonic and 
stimulant. It tones up and invigorates the parts 
to which it is applied, increases the circulation 
and produces a healthful reaction throughout the 
system. 

Cold water bathing is a thing which can be 
easily overdone, however, particularly by one 
in feeble health. A certain amount of vitality 
is needed to react properly ; and when this vital- 
ity is low, as it often is in old age, the reaction 
does not follow as it should, and then the effect 
of cold water may be as harmful as it is beneficial 
under other circumstances. So it is obvious that 
this question is one which requires careful con- 
sideration. 

Some old men are able to take "dips" in the 
ocean even during very cold weather, but this 
is certainly inadvisable, save for one who has 
gradually toughened himself until he can stand 

20 



COLD WATER 



it. There is no period of life when such harden- 
ing methods cannot be undertaken to advantage, 
only they must be undertaken gradually and 
carefully. 

It is best to begin cold baths in the summer 
time, if one is not accustomed to them. The 
water should not be ice cold, but thoroughly 
cool, to insure a reaction. If the water is only 
tepid, no good result will follow, and the skin 
will be left feeling cold and chilly. A f ewjninutes' 
exercise might precede the bath, so as to stimu- 
late the circulation. If the feet and hands are 
cold, the bath should not be taken until they are 
warm. A few deep-breathing exercises are also 
helpful, just before getting into the cold water. 
It is very important that the skin should be fairly 
warm before entering the cold water. If the sur- 
face of the body be chilled, the dip had best be 
ommitted that day; and an air bath, accompan- 
ied by a brisk rub-down with a dry towel, or 
brushes, and a few exercises, be substituted for it. 

Anyone suffering from an exceptionally weak 
heart must be extremely careful as to bathing 
in cold water; and the same is true for anyone 
suffering from kidney or circulatory trouble of 
any kind. Cold is a powerful stimulant, and in 
such cases must be employed with care. 

A good way to take a cold bath is as follows : 

Standing by the side of the bath, first dash 
the water over the face and neck. Then, leaning 
over still further, and supporting your weight 
by one hand, dash the water against the chest, 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

over the heart, with the other hand. This will 
take away the first shock to the heart and mini- 
mize the effect of the water later. Then jump 
into the water, immersing the body up to the 
waist. Finally, slide right down under the water, 
so that only the head remains out. It is well to 
move about constantly, and rub the surface of 
the body while in the water. At first, you should 
only remain in the water a few seconds — ^just in 
and out again. Later, you can remain in half 
a minute or longer, regulating the length of the 
stay by your own feelings. In cold weather it 
should be just in, and out again. 

Swimming, of course, is the ideal method of 
taking cold water dips, when this is possible. 
This adds the benefits of the exercise to that of 
the stimulus from the water. If this is in salt 
water, the tonic effects are still greater. 

The drinking of cold water is beneficial at all 
times when the water can be tolerated by the 
stomach with ease, and a healthful reaction is 
produced. Water drunk in this way should never 
be ice cold, only thoroughly cool. Small cold- 
water enemas are also useful, in certain con- 
ditions. 

In all feverish states, cold water is especially 
helpful. It stands to reason that if water enters 
the body at a temperature, of say 60'' F., and 
leaves it at the temperature of the body, 98.6' 
F., it has been raised, in its passage through the 
body, 38.6° F. This amount of heat it has, of 
course, abstracted from the body. In all such 

22 



COLD WATER 



conditions, quantities of cold water should be 
taken; and a plentiful supply of cold water, at 
such times, is one of the prime essentials for a 
rapid recovery. 

General or local applications of cold water 
are frequently useful, in diseased conditions. 
Wet-sheet packs, douches, applications, etc., ap- 
plied over the proper area, have been found ex- 
tremely beneficial. Cold sitz baths, by relieving 
the congested inner organs, are also helpful. For 
all such methods of treatment, however, the 
reader is referred to the works of Trail, etc., or 
to Macf addends Encyclopedia of Physical Cul- 
ture, where full details will be found. 

As to the quality of the water, but one rule 
applies — viz,, the purer the, better. Filtered and 
boiled water is best ; or properly distilled water. 
The drinking of a glass of water the first thing 
on arising in the morning, and another the last 
thing at night should be made a habit. Other- 
wise, the quantity of water taken during the day 
may be gauged according to craving. It is always 
better to drink a little too much than too little 
water, however. When we remember that the 
body is mostly fluid — "solids in solution" — and 
that there are many quarts of blood, lymph and 
other fluids in the system, the importance of 
water can be readily seen. Dr. Trail, in fact, de- 
fined death as "that condition in which the 'solids 
of the body become so disproportioned to the 
fluids that the activities of life can no longer 
icontinue." All plants die if they are deprived of 

23 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

water; and man can live many times as long in 
the absence of all food as he can if deprived of 
water. In our steam-heated apartments the body- 
tends to become "dried out" very quickly. The 
importance of keeping the body well supplied 
with water is thus apparent — especially when we 
bear in mind the fact that water is the great 
cleansing agent of the body, impurities of all 
kinds being washed out by it. Drink plentifully 
of water, therefore; accustom yourself to drink 
more than you have been drinking, if this is less 
than four glasses a day. Keep the body young 
by plentiful water-drinking! 



24 



LESSON XXIX 
How to Dress 

OUR clothing is an important factor all thru 
our lives; and this is as true in advanced 
age as at any other time in life. In all animals 
the skin is a natural protective covering, adapted 
in various ways to the vicissitudes of the weather. 
Fur-bearing animals grow a thicker crop of fur 
in winter than in summer. The hair of other 
animals — such as the horse — grows longer dur- 
ing the winter months. But with man this hairy 
covering is practically gone, and his skin, thru 
generations of inactivity and over-clothing, has 
ceased, to a great degree, to respond to the 
changes of the external temperature. It is be- 
cause of this fact that the clothing must be 
heavier in winter than in summer, and that we 
heat our houses to the extent that we do, thereby 
still further decreasing the healthful activity of 
the skin. 

There is a self-regulating mechanism, however, 
which adjusts the activity of the skin to the ex- 
ternal temperature. Thus, if the weather be very 
cold, the skin becomes tense; we "resist" the cold 
to the extent, in very cold weather, of feeling a 
muscular rigidity all over the body. This reac- 
tion serves a useful purpose. It prevents too 
great a quantity of blood from reaching the sur- 

25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

face of the body, where, meeting the colder outer 
temperature, it would become rapidly cooled. 
Thus the chilling of the body is prevented. Alco- 
hol tends to flush the skin with an excess of blood, 
and produce a local feeling of warmth for the 
time being; but, by so doing, it eventually cools 
the body still more, since the blood brought to 
the surface, where it meets the cold, outer air, is 
thereby chilled. It is, therefore, quite an er- 
roneous belief that alcohol, in any form, tends to 
warm the body ; it cools it. This is so well known 
to arctic explorers that, on very cold days, the 
men are prohibited from drinking anything alco- 
holic so long as they remain out of doors. For 
similar reasons, the old person, no matter how 
cold h^ may feel, should not resort to any form 
of alcoholic stimulant, under the impression that 
it will permanently warm him. He may exper- 
ience a feeling of warmth, for the time being; 
but this is purely temporary, and will be followed 
invariably by a reaction in which the body will be 
colder than before. 

The skin can be toughened, however, to a con- 
siderable extent, by usage, and by the tonic ef- 
fects of cold water and cold air upon its surface, 
to withstand low temperatures. There is a story 
of a fur-clad traveller, riding thru a snow-cover- 
ed country, in the Great Northwest, looking with 
astonishment at a semi-nude Indian who came 
out to greet him. The traveller asked the Indian 
if he were not cold, thus scantily clad. The Indian 
thought a moment, then replied: 

26 



HOW TO DRESS 



**White man's face uncovered; no cold?'* 

"No," replied the traveller, *'but that is hard- 
ened ; it is used to it." 

"Uh," replied the native, "Indian all face!" 

Thus we see the beneficial effect of stimulating 
and invigorating the skin, and accustoming it to 
withstand temperatures of all sorts, early in life. 

At the same time, it is inadvisable to under- 
clothe the body, in very cold weather, particular- 
ly if not used to it. For the aged, especially when 
the natural heat is low, this is inadvisable. Keep- 
ing the surface of the body fairly warm enables 
it to employ its vital activities for purposes other 
than that of replacing the heat which is radiated 
from the skin when it is not properly protected, 
or the surrounding atmosphere is unduly low. 

If the body has been accustomed to cold air, 
cold water, etc., during its early years, the old 
person can withstand low temperatures well ; but 
if the body has never been subjected to this 
toughening process, the old person must be ver}'' 
careful about leaving off heavy clothing. After 
his skin has been toughened by sun and air baths, 
and by the various health- and vitality-building 
methods suggested in this book, he may be able 
to do so ; but to leave it off without such prepar- 
ation would be to inhibit at once the normal ac- 
tivity of the skin, with the result that it would 
cease to function properly. 

All changes of clothing" should be made very 
carefully and very gradually, therefore, thinner 
garments being adopted only after thinner cloth- 

27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

ing is craved because of the activity of the skin 
and the general improvement in the health. 

At the same time, impervious garments are as 
unwholesome for the old man or woman as they 
are for the young of either sex. The skin cannot 
function properly if the pores are clogged, the 
skin inactive and anaemic, and the tissues flabby. 
Nerves and blood-vessels need air, and greater 
ventilation for the surface of the skin than our 
present clothing habits provide is essential. 
Woolen clothing readily absorbs the moisture 
from the body, but also retains it ; and the result 
of this is that, after the garments are once damp, 
there is a constant layer of damp clothing next 
to the skin. This is impervious to air ; and, if the 
weather turns suddenly chilly, it tends to cool 
off the body unduly and cause discomfort. 

Silk and linen make the best undergarments, 
and are usually to be recommended. They are 
warm, and at the same time permit the access of 
a certain amount of air to the surface of the body. 
This promotes the activity of the skin, and it 
must be remembered, that so long as the skin is 
fairly active, it will not feel cold, or become 
chilled. 

Needless to say, all tight and restrictive cloth- 
ing should be discarded by those of advanced 
years, as it tends to impede the circulation. This 
is naturally less powerful in the later years of 
life than in youth, and in consequence stagna- 
tion and anemia are more likely to be produced 
in the parts below the tight clothing. Garters, 

28 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

tight belts, tight collars and corsets all fall under 
this ban. In man, tight hats also shut off the air- 
supply and circulation to the scalp, inducing pre- 
mature baldness. In short, the clothing should 
be as loose and as comfortable as possible; and 
should be as light as is consistent with warmth 
and the general comfort of the body. 

As you advance in years, you should endeavor 
to keep as young-looking as possible in your 
dress. There is no reason why old people should 
dress like "frumps," or cease to be well dressed. 
"There are no more old people," it has been said. 
Clothes have an undoubted psychological effect 
upon the mind and body. At a masquerade party, 
each character unconsciously begins to act out 
the part his clothes signify. The clown will play 
the fool; the courtier will become unusually 
dignified ; the troubadour will become romantic, 
etc. In much the same way, we all unconsciously 
"live up to our clothes." If you dress in a fairly 
youngf style, therefore, you will begin to feel 
young; and this applies to men no less than to 
women of advanced years. 

Light clothes undoubtedly have a more cheer- 
ing and happy effect than dark ones. Black is 
always associated with sorrow and the more 
sombre moods. White, and the lighter colors, 
on the contrary, tend to cheer one up, and make 
one feel bright and cheerful. It was doubtless 
because of this' fact that Mark Twain adopted a 
white suit during the last years of his life. He 
found it cheered him up. The "man-in-white" 

22 



HOW TO DRESS 



who may be seen walking about the streets of 
New York City is constantly writing articles on 
optimism. And it must always be remembered 
that the mental condition reacts very markedly 
upon the body, influencing the digestion, circula- 
tion, secretions, etc., as recent experiments by 
Dr. Cannon have shown. For further material 
along these interesting lines, the reader is re- 
ferred to the chapter on Mental Influences. 

White or very light clothing, moreover, is 
penetrated by certain rays of the sun. Black 
clothing admits other rays. In the tropics, it has 
been found advisable to wear white clothing on 
the outside, and black clothing beneath — thus 
shutting off both long and short rays. In our 
milder climates, however, this is not essential, 
and simple light clothing is the best in summer- 
time. It is a mistake, however, to suppose that 
black or dark clothng must be worn, on this ac- 
count, all winter. Light clothing is good at all 
times, and there is no reason why men should not 
use the lighter shades in winter as well as women. 
The latter wear colors all the year round, and 
those men who are not afraid of convention* 
would find this a good practice also. Do not live 
your life according to your environment; make 
your environment conform to you ! In this ques- 
tion of clothing, it would be well for humanity 
to remember more than it does now a saying of 
an ancient occult school, propounded by its 
master: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole 
of the Law!" 

30 



Making Old 
Bodies IfbuNG 

Qhirty Eiqkt Cessans 
in Buildinq Vitahtij 
and Neroewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponinq 
Old c4ae ^ .^ ^^/ 

Cessons 

30, 31 
and 32 

Beinair Macfadden 



Part Six 

Basic Principles of Longevity 

Comprising Lessons Thirty to Thirty-Eight 



XXX. 


What Is Age? 


XXXI. 


A Man Is As Old As His Arteries 




Why? 


XXXll. 


The Ductless Glands in Relation to 




Age. 


XXX 111. 


Sex and Age. 


XXXI V. 


Old Age and Marriage. 


XXXV. 


On the Senses in Old Age. 


XXXVI? 


Why Thinking Keeps You Young. 


XXXV li. 


A Man Is As Old As He Feels. 


xxxvni. 


People Who Remain Young. 



©CI.A570003 



-1^ I 






LESSON XXX 
What Is Age?— Youth? 

ALL living organisms pass through a certain 
period of growth, maturity, and decline; 
they become old, and at one time or another 
die from simple, natural causes — if they have 
not died from disease or accident before. Natural 
death is, nowadays, rare ; Metchnikoff and others 
have pointed out that it is but infrequently ob- 
served. Yet there is no known reason why man 
should not reach the full term of years allotted 
to him, just as animals do; and it is solely due 
to our habits of life that we die prematurely, and 
decline in our powers before our allotted time. 
There can be no doubt that the average length 
of life of the human race should be far greater 
than it is now. The lower animals live about five 
times as long as it takes them to mature; the 
same rule should hold good for man also. He 
matures at about twenty, let us say. Therefore he 
should live to be a hundred, and that without 
growing decrepit, or without* being regarded as 
exceptionally old or long-lived ! That should be 
his normal age limit. But instead of this, what 
do we find ? That the average duration of human 
life is a fraction over forty-five years ; and more 
than that, that these forty-five years are filled 
with grievous diseases and illnesses of all sorts, 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

instead of with health and happiness ! Something 
is assuredly wrong somewhere. There must be a 
reason for this. What is the reason? 

The human body, as a machine, seems fit to run 
a century, at least. If it breaks down sooner 
than this, it is due to some factor, or factors, 
which have interfered with its natural function- 
ing. If health were maintained, that is, life would 
continue for a hundred years, and so long as dis- 
ease is prevented, the health should be good. We 
seem, therefore, driven to believe that disease 
is that which wrecks and prematurely destroys 
the body; and that, if disease were prevented, 
the body would go on living for a very long time. 
The prevention of old age and premature death, 
therefore, narrows itself down to a question of 
the prevention of disease; and this question 
forms the subject-matter of this book. 

It must not be thought, however, that by "dis- 
ease" we mean acute disease, which causes im- 
mediate death. Any deviation from perfect health 
is a diseased condition, in one sense; and such 
conditions may run on in the system for years, 
without outward manifestation, and without 
being known to the patient, who may even think 
himself in good health. 

Improper functioning of the organs, particu- 
larly of the excretory oragns, may start a train of 
influences, which, all unknown and unsuspected 
by the patient, gradually undermine his health, 
until, years later, there comes a break-down from 
a complication of disorders, the origins of which 

4 



WHAT IS AGE? 



are hidden in the shadowy past. We must learn 
to eradicate these conditions, whether discovered 
or not; and this can be done by following the 
course of life outlined in this course. Thus life 
may be greatly prolonged, and health and happi- 
ness insured. 

There can be no doubt that the greatest factor 
in the production of disease is the food factor. 
"We dig our graves with our teeth," it has been 
said. Also, "If you do not put trouble into the 
body, you will get none out of the body." Nor- 
mally, we introduce nothing into the body except 
air, food and drink. That pure air is essential 
goes without saying, and its importance is now 
so well-known that it seems superfluous to do 
more than call attention to the matter. Night 
air is the only air there is at night ; and damp air 
is no more injurious than air which is not damp 
— since every particle of air which enters the 
lungs has been dampened by Nature before it 
reaches them. Fresh air should be admitted at 
all times of the day and night, and "the more 
the better." 

As to drink, pure water is the greatest of all 
drinks, and there is one simple rule to be follow- 
ed in this connection, "The purer the better." 
Other drinks are merely a mixture of water and 
other ingredients ; and the other ingredients are, 
as a rule, the injurious factors. Broadly speak- 
iny, however, drinks form part of the food prob- 
lem, since they are liquid foods. 

It is the food, therefore, which is the more im- 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

portant factor. An excess of food, or food of 
an injurious character, destroys life more rapidly 
than anything else; it is that which generates 
poisons within the system ; and these poisons, in 
turn, are the chief causes of disease, and. of pre- 
mature old age and death. This subject has been 
taken up in detail in the chapters on diet. 

Natural death should be natural, and neither 
violent nor premature. Metchnikoff held that, 
if death be due to old age, it will be sought 
for and anxiously awaited (instead of being 
dreaded and feared), just as we long for the 
night's sleep after a day of hard and trying work. 
It is probable that this is the case. The dread of 
death which is so universal merely shows us that, 
in practically all cases, death has been premature ; 
it has come before it was wanted, before its ap- 
pointed time. There is every reason to believe, 
and every analogy points to the conclusion, that 
death should be welcomed, as sleep is welcomed 
by those fatigued. Metchnikoff produced some 
cases in support of his contention; and he was 
doubtless right. 

Old age is almost invariably regarded as a 
period of decreptitude and mental imbecility. 
And although this is, as a matter of fact, the 
all-but-invariable rule, there is no reason why 
this should be the case. Hardly any of the wild 
animals show signs of decreptitude in a similar 
manner, and only some of the domestic animals 
do. The rule would seem to be that the nearer we 
live to Nature, the longer is death postponed, 

6 



WHAT IS AGE? 



and the more painless it is. Those living as the 
majority do, indulging in rich foods, dissipations 
of all .sorts and what are generally known as 
"the good things of this world," do degenerate 
prematurely and lose their mental and moral 
fibre, no less than their physical power. Decay 
is the rule ; uselessness is the general condition of 
the aged among most civilized peoples and even 
among some that are not civilized. 

As to the causes of old age there has been 
much theorizing, but it is now well known that 
a process of hardening and ossification is an im- 
portant factor in the production of the condition, 
and this in turn is the result of the accumulation 
of lime and other earthy salts in the system. 

The most marked characteristic of old age is 
the substitution of a fibrinous, gelatinous and 
earthy substance for the living tissues of youth, 
the earthy matter being chiefly composed of 
phosphate and carbonate of lime, with small 
quantities of sulphate of lime, magnesia and 
traces of other salts. In the bones this change is 
most noticeable. The amount of animal matter 
in the bones, particularly in the long bones and 
the bones of the head decreases, with age, while 
the amount of mineral matter increases. 

As age advances the muscles diminish in bulk 
and become paler in color, less contractile and 
less responsive to stimuli. The brain increases 
in size up to about fifty years of age, and after- 
ward, there is a gradual and slow diminution in 
weight, about one ounce in every ten years. 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

The convolutions in the brain also become less 
distinct and prominent. 

The dwra mater, the external covering of the 
brain, becomes thickened and hardened, and is 
often found apparently collapsed or corrugated. 
Ossific deposits on the arachnoid, or middle mem- 
brane, are very common. This membrane* is 
sometimes found also to have an abnormal dry- 
ness. The arteries supplying the brain become 
thickened and lessened in calibre in old age. The 
supply of blood thus becomes less and less, lead- 
ing to mental deterioration in the very aged. 

This gradual degeneration of the arteries, not 
only in the brain but throughout the body, is 
perhaps one of the most important of all the 
changes that take place in old age, and has given 
rise to the saying that "a man is as old as his 
arteries." The capillaries also become choked 
with earthy matter. As these changes take place 
in the arteries, greater pressure is thrown upon 
the veins. These accordingly dilate, their coats 
becomming thinner. They may also become tor- 
tuous and varicose. 

The gradual process of hardening going on 
throughout the system gives rise to various af- 
fections of the heart, manifesting themselves by 
a variety of symptoms. The lungs gradually lose 
their elasticity and the air-cells and bronchi be- 
come dilated — hence the emphysema and chronic 
bronchitis so often seen in the aged. 

The salivary glands become hardened, and de- 
crease in bulk, and owing partly to this cause and 

8 



WHAT IS AGE? 



partly to the decay of the nervous system, the 
saliva may be secreted either in large quantities, 
so that "dribbling" takes place, or in quantities 
so small that the mouth is hardly moistened. 

In the stomach the gastric juice is secreted in 
a diluted form, deficient in pepsin, while the 
muscular v^alls of the organ gradually lose their 
wonted contractibility. The peristaltic motion 
also becomes weak, and all the processes of diges- 
tion decline in efficiency. Alterations in the bile, 
secreted by the liver, and in the fluid secretions 
of the pancreas, may result in the less thorough 
emulsification .and absorption of fat. In the in- 
testines the small vessels which supply the folli- 
cles and various glands become hardened, or 
even clogged up. The walls of the intestines be- 
come opaque and lose their contractibility, while 
the minute tubes that drain off the digested food 
undergo the same gradual alteration. From all 
of which it appears how important it is that all 
food should be restricted in quantity and simpli- 
fied in quality in old age. 

Almost all the viscera, and particularly those 
glands and organs connected with the sexual ap- 
paratus, show signs of old age. The walls and 
structures become harder in texture, and less 
pliable. 

In the eye, in old age, there is a diminished 
secretion of the aqueous fluid in the anterior 
chamber, the cornea becomes less prominent, the 
pupil more dilated, from lessened nervous sensi- 
bility. The retina often is found thickened, alter- 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

■ 

ed in color, tough and even ossified. The lens 
becomes flattened on both surfaces, and assumes 
a yellowish or amber tinge. It loses its transpar- 
ency, and gradually increases in toughness and 
in specific gravity. Cataract is rarely found in 
the young, but frequently in the aged. The abil- 
ity to see small objects at the near point is usual- 
ly lost. 

The ear is subject to the same gradual pro- 
cesses of ossification. The cartilages of the ex- 
terna? ear become hardened, or even ossified ; the 
secretion of ear-wax becomes less and altered in 
quality. The membrana tympani becomes thick- 
ened and hardened. The ligaments connecting 
the ossicles, the chain of little bones traversing 
the middle ear, become hardened and their plia- 
bility is lessened; thus vibrations, which are al- 
ready imperfect, owing to the hardening of the 
membrana tympani, are improperly transmitted 
across the cavity of the tympanum, by means of 
the internal ear, the structures and fluids of which 
have undergone the same processes of consolida- 
tion, to the auditory nerve, the sensibility of 
which decreases with the senile changes of the 
brain. Hence the impaired hearing so often ob- 
served in aged persons. 

The whole membrane covering the tongue be- 
comes thickened and hardened and dry, while 
the blood-vessels supplying the papillae are de- 
creased in size. Hence, the sense of taste is di- 
minished. 

The sense of smell is also lessened, owing to 

10 



WHAT IS AGE? 



the hardening of the membranes and cartilages 
of the nose, while the fibres of the olfactory 
nerves lose their susceptibility. 

The sense of touch, throughout the body, is 
greatly diminished for several reasons. The 
sensibility of the nerves is lowered. The epider- 
mis becomes thickened, dry and less sensitive. 
The capillaries supplying the pipillae are lessened 
in caliber and the action of the sebaceous glands 
is also diminished. 

As is well known, the teeth are almost invaria- 
bly lost before age is far advanced — this being 
due partly to external causes and partly to the 
lessening and lowered quality of the blood sup- 
ply upon which the nutrition of the teeth de- 
pends. 

The hair is generally lost, and usually becomes 
white. The cause of this loss of color for a 
long time puzzled physiologists ; but it has now 
been pretty conclusively shown that it is due to 
the action of the phagocytes, the white corpuscles 
of the blood, which devour the coloring matter. 

The stock of vitality is decreased ; but whether 
this is due to the state of the blood, or the state 
of the blood due to the lowering of the vitality, 
is a question which it is difficult to settle. 

While the causes of these changes, which are 
doubtless complex, are little understood, the fact 
that the accumulation of earthy matter is such an 
important factor in bringing them about gives us 
a practical basis for action. These substances 
are introduced into our bodies in food and drink, 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

and the degenerative changes of old age may, to a 
great extent, be warded off by keeping them out. 
The foods which contain the least percentage of 
them have been found to be fruits, and a liberal 
use of fruits in the diet will, therefore, promote 
the prolongation of youth. This topic is dealt 
with more fully, however, in the lesson devoted 
to diet. 

We know, too, that these changes are only re- 
latively a matter of years. They take place when 
the vitality of the body is lowered and not when 
it is maintained at a high level. It is, therefore, 
plain that the symptoms of old age may be large- 
ly postponed by maintaining the highest possible 
degree of health, and it is known that when this 
is done, many of them never appear, to the 
extent outlined above. It thus becomes our duty 
to inquire how this state of perfect health may 
be preserved, that we may grow old gracefully, 
and, like Cornaro, find in our declining years 
"the most beautiful period of life." 



12 



LESSON XXXI 
'*A Man Is As Old As His Arteries"— Why? 

HARDENING of the arteries — Arterioscle- 
rosis — is now known to be one of the great 
menaces of old age. This condition is, to a large 
extent, the cause of premature old age, and is 
also a direct cause of premature death, in an in- 
creasingly large number of cases. In fact, recent 
statistics have shown us that, while the number 
of deaths from tuberculosis is constantly dimin- 
ishing, the number of deaths from circulatory 
troubles of all kinds is constantly increasing. 

How to prevent the hardening of the arteries, 
therefore, becomes a very important question for 
the man or woman approaching old age. What 
means should be employed to keep them soft and 
pliable, instead of becoming brittle? 

For many years it was thought that the' con- 
traction of the heart was the sole cause of the 
pulsation felt in the arteries ; but we now know 
that the blood-vessels themselves have a good 
deal to do with the circulation, owing to their 
elasticity. They contract and expand with the 
pulsations, and can become almost empty of 
blood by their own muscular action, or, on the 
contrary, engorged with it. If the feet be held 
in the air, they become almost emptied of blood. 
This must go somewhere; it fills the large ves- 
sels in the body, and, to a certain extent, the head 
also. Hence the importance of having the walls 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

of these vessels elastic, so that they can stretcK 
readily, when occasion demands, to meet this 
extra pressure. If they do not do so, they are 
liable to be ruptured; and then we have internal 
hemorrhage, or apoplexy, if it occurs in the brain. 

All parts of the body depend upon the blood 
supply. It has been said: "There is only one dis- 
ease — impure blood!" While this is an exag- 
geration, it is safe to say that this simple defi- 
nition covers nine-tenths of existing diseases. 

If the blood supply be shut off from any part, 
even for a few minutes, that part begins to die. 
We know how useless an arm feels when the cir- 
culation has been cut off, during sleep, by lying 
upon it. We often have to take the other hand 
to move it. This shows us that the strength of 
the arm depends upon the blood supply; for in 
this instance the muscles, nerves and tissues are 
perfectly sound; yet we have no control over 
them, in the absence of the blood. This has given 
rise to the saying: "The Blood is the Life!" 

The brain, above all other organs, depends 
upon the blood supply for its healthy functioning 
and activity. It has been shown that, during 
sleep, the supply of blood to the brain is material- 
ly lessened. This was proved by some delicate 
experiments performed by Professor Mosso, of 
Turin, Italy. He placed the subject on a board, 
so adjusted that the slightest change in the dis- 
tribution of the weight upon it would cause it 
to tilt. When the subject fell asleep, the board 
tilted towards the feet ; and when he woke up and 

14 



AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES 

began to think it tilted towards the head — show- 
ing that the blood was drawn to that part by the 
activity of the brain. The activities of conscious- 
ness require a plentiful blood supply ; and if the 
brain be suddenly deprived of blood, conscious- 
ness is at once lost — as it is in fainting. 

The more we use our brains, the more we think, 
the greater supply of blood we use in the head, 
and therefore the arteries and veins in the brain, 
and those leading to and supplying the brain, are 
materially increased in size as the result of brain 
activity. Thus we see the importance of learn- 
ing to use the brain early in life. We cannot be- 
come brain workers ov.ernight, any more than a 
nation can raise a million trained soldiers over- 
night! It takes time to build up the necessary 
mechanism, and it can only be done by constant 
thinking, early in life. 

Here we see the importance of beginning 
young to develop the minds of children. While 
the physiological habits of the body are being 
formed then is the time to lay the necessary 
"pipage" to the brain. We can lay it later on 
in life, but it is much harder work. We should 
start young; 

Statistics show us that the brain worker, other 
things being equal, lives longer than the body 
worker. This may be due in part to the fact that 
the man who is able to devote his time to brain 
work is as a rule better situated financially than 
the man who works with his hands only. On the 
other hand, the body worker usually has more 

15 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

exercise, more outdoor air, less care and worry, 
and should, we should imagine, live longer. But 
he has neglected his brain! And after all, the 
brain is the important factor in life. A man's 
body, the work he can do from his neck down, 
is worth about two dollars and a half a day. 
From his neck up, his work may be worth any- 
thing — a million a year ! It all depends on what 
he does with his brain. Yet the brain cannot 
work unless the blood supply be pure and whole- 
some, and plentiful. 

But not too much blood! Nature has taken 
due care that the delicate tissue of the brain shall 
not become engorged with blood. It is now 
thought that the pineal gland has an influence 
upon the blood supply in the brain, and there is 
this other curious fact, very little known, even to 
physicians: that, whereas all over the body, the 
pulsation is synchronous with, or corresponds to, 
the rate of the heart beat — this extending even 
to the membranes covering the brain ; the rate of 
pulsation within the brain itself corresponds, not 
with the heart, but with the respiration — that is, 
twelve or fourteen a minute ! This seems to show 
us that Nature did not intend us to supply too 
much blood, often heavily laden with malassim- 
ilated food material, to that delicate thinking and 
feeling organ, lest it should be destroyed or in- 
jured. And we know now that brain-cells are 
actually destroyed, beyond all repair, by an ex- 
cess of acidity in the blood, which, as we have 
seen, is due chiefly to faulty diet. 

16 



AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES 

The veins are naturally elastic ; this we can see 
in the backs of the hands, especially in the eve- 
ning, when th-ey are more prominent than in the 
morning. They are not subject to the great pres- 
sure sustained by the arteries, because the capil- 
liaries — the tiny blood-vessels everywhere — re- 
duce this pressure, by overcoming the pulsation ; 
hence there is no pulse in the veins. The arteries, 
however, are subject 'to this pressure; every 
throb of the heart forces the blood against their 
elastic walls with reneWed force, and if they do 
not respond, they are liable to become ruptured. 
This danger becomes increasingly greater as age 
advances; and we must learn to guard against 
and prevent it. 

The walls of the arteries harden for much the 
same reason that the bones and tissues all over 
the body harden, becoming more dense, more 
ligid and ossified. As the older writers expressed 
it: "The animal portions become lessened, and 
the mineral portions increased." The tissues 
have become hard, dense and brittle, instead of 
soft and pliable. The result of this is that the 
heart has to do extra work, in pumping the blood 
through them; and in consequence we find the 
heart generally increased in size, in old persons, 
and the rate of the pulsation faster. 

In more precise language, we may say that 
the change which takes place in the arterial walls 
of old people is the substitution for the elastic and 
muscular tissues of fibrous and calcareous 
(chalky) matter. Thus the walls become thick- 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

ened, roughened and dilated, and this tends to 
impaired nutrition in the various tissues, with 
consequent atrophic, fatty, cancerous, gangren- 
ous, or. hemorrhagic tendencies. These, of 
course, are extreme cases, which are very rare. 
In the majority of cases the changes are not very 
noticeable. But there is always this tendency, 
in old age, for the arteries to become hard; and 
it is this tendency that we must guard against. 

No one who has studied the question thorough- 
ly and impartially can for a moment doubt that 
this condiiton is brought about chiefly through 
errors of diet — the food supply; and that these 
errors have consisted, for the most part, in eating 
too many cereals, too much meat, and too little 
fruit and fresh vegetables. Meat creates an 
excess of acid in the system which attacks and 
irritates the walls of the vessels; cereals, and 
starchyjoods generally, leave a deposit of earthy 
material, which is considerably added to by an 
excess of salt in the food and by water contain- 
ing minerals. We have all noted how the inside 
of a kettle which has been used for a long period 
to boil water that is very hard becomes coated 
with earthy matter. Much the same sort of 
thing takes place in the body. Mineral matter 
of any sort tends to induce degeneration; hence 
we see the need of drinking pure water — ^water 
which has been freed, so far as possible, from all 
these mineral impurities. 

Fruits and fresh vegetables, on the contrary — 
fruits especially — tend to prevent the accumula- 

18 



AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES 

tion of these substances, for the simple reason 
that they are not contained within them. Fruits 
and vegetables contain organic or living mineral 
salts, which are very different from the inorganic 
or earthy minerals. Investigations conducted 
among "fruitarians," i. e., those who live almost 
entirely upon fruits and nuts, have shown us that 
the arteries do not tend to become hardened even 
in fairly advanced age, upon such a diet, provided 
it has been maintained consistently for some 
time. On the contrary, ^mitsi invariably tend to 
soften up the arteries, anorejuvenate and render 
more pliable the tissues throughout the body. 
Not only do they prevent the accumulation of 
earthy deposits, but they will actually remove 
them, to a large extent, when they have begun 
to form, making the arteries, in a sense, **young" 
and "new." 

The djj ^kiji g of pure water is another effective 
method for removing the deposits which cause 
the aging of the body and the hardening of the 
artery walls. F astin g, also, by its cleansing ac- 
tion, is an important factor. Moreover, when 
fasting, parts of the body may be truly replaced 
by new tissues, and these new tissues are preg- 
nant with life and health, as the old ones were 
old and decrepit. The body is always making 
itself over; it is striving to renovate itself, and 
make itself, as it were, young; but the process 
is hampered by our habits of life and diet which 
destroy the body faster than we can build it up, 
breaking it down before its allotted time. 

19 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

Exercise, too, is extremely beneficial in cases 
of this character; but here we must be careful, 
since, if the walls of the arteries are brittle and 
thin, they are liable to be ruptured by the ex- 
cessive strain imposed upon them by violent ex- 
ercise. Any one suffering from arteriosclerosis 
should take the greatest care, therefore, at the be- 
ginning of the treatment, and depend primarily 
upon fasting, water-drinking, fruit-eating and 
passive exercises of all kinds,^ until the tissues 
forming the walls of the arteries are renovated 
and rejuvenated, before attempting any active 
or strenuous exercises. Later on, something of 
the kind may be gradually undertaken. 

In serious cases of arteriosclerosis the exclusive^ 
inilk diet, following a fast, is undoubtedly very 
valuable. 

It is now believed, too, that the condition of 
the arteries depends very much upon the con- 
dition of the thyroidj^[and, which governs the 
condition of the whole circulatory system ..." 

The practical facts which the old person should 
keep in mind, therefore, are these: Hardening 
of the walls of the arteries is one of the surest 
symptoms of old age, and one of the great causes 
of premature death. It can be prevented by 
proper methods of living, adopted early in life ; 
and, if it has developed to any extent, it can 
be largely overcome by proper methods of treat- 
ment, adopted even late in life. Of these methods 
the most important are: plentiful water-drink- 

20 



AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES 

ing; a bountiful supply of fruit {instead of, and 
not in addition to, other foods) ; fresh vegetables ; 
little, if any, meat ; very little, gereal or starchy 
food. These measures, if followed out, will re- 
sult in the radical removal of this great curse of 
old age ; and allow the patient to prolong his life 
many years ; besides giving a vim and a zest to 
life which before had been considered impossi- 
ble. Arteriosclerosis is not necessarily a fatal 
disease. On the contrary, very few die from it, 
even when it is fully developed. And it can also 
be cured- — to the extent, at least, that it no longer 
troubles the patient — by the simple yet effective 
means above outlined. 

We do not usually appreciate how much work 
the heart is actually called upon to perform. It 
beats more than two billion times, in fifty years 
of active life, and produces each hour enough 
power to lift 1,500 pounds three and a half feet 
high. If you picture to yourself your arm lift- 
ing an eight-pound dumbbell, seventy times a 
minute, twenty-four hours a day, without a stop, 
summer and winter, year after year, you begin 
to see the gigantic work which the heart per- 
forms. And it must perform it, if we are to live. 
If it stops, only for a few seconds, we die! The 
heart actually does all this, in each one of us, 
during our lives. 

Arteriosclerosis has been called "the plague of 
the wealthy" — from which one can readily see 
that it is closely connected with a condition of 
the blood and body generally due to an excess of 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

rich food, and the other things which go with 
comfort and ease. If poverty degenerates the 
system in some ways, affluence does in others. 

Various diseases affect the heart seriously. 
Among these we may mention: rheumatism, 
syphilis, Graves' disease, Addison's disease, etc. 

The effect of the mind — or rather the emotions 
— upon the blood-vessels is most marked. We 
see this in blushing, when a mental or emotional 
state will cause the smaller vessels in the face and 
neck to fill with blood; and in fainting, when 
great anemia of the brain is often induced, 
as the result of a sudden shock of a happy 
or unhappy nature. To a lesser degree the 
circulation is subject to such influences all 
through life. Continual emotional states will 
stress the walls of the blood-vessels, and actually 
wear them out more effectually than will any 
amount of wholesome exercise or recreation. 

Regarding exercise, for those who suffer from 
weak hearts, there is a system of walking which 
has been especially devised for those with hearts 
not seriously "sick," but in need of being 
strengthened. It consists of taking walks, of 
gradually increased length, on roads that grad- 
ually grow steeper. This strengthens the heart, 
without serious risk of overtaxing it. 

Nervousness and all unpleasant emotions — 
such as worry, fear, anger, irritation, etc. — ^great- 
ly aggravate the condition of arteriosclerosis. 
Constipation has a similar effect. Tobacco and 
alcohol are two important influences in inducing 

n 



AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES 

this condition and aggravating it when present. 
The avoidance of any accumulation of , fat is es- 
sential, and all the hygienic measures previously 
mentioned are of value both in preventing the 
condition and in alleviating it once it has super- 
vened. 



LESSON XXXII 
The Ductless Glands in Relation to Age 

OUR theories of the causation of old age have 
undergone great changes within the past 
few years. The scientific study of old age and its 
problems may be said to be of relatively recent 
origin, and it is only lately that we have begun 
to have a really accurate knowledge of the 
changes which take place in the later years of 
life and of the causes which produced them. We 
have already given a number of the conditions 
surrounding old age; and it remains for us, in 
this chapter, to discuss one more theory, which 
is very important, and relatively new. It is the 
outgrowth of the work of many scientific men 
and physicians ; but the best exposition is perhaps 
found in Dr. Arnold Lorand's work. Old Age 
Deferred, 

According to this theory, old age and pre- 
mature death depend, not upon the condition or 
age of the arteries, but upon the condition of 
the ductless glands in the body. All vital phe- 
nomena. Dr. Lorand says, are under the control 
of the action of these glands ; everything depends 
upon their condition. Depressing emotions are, 
perhaps, the most fatal and certain of all means 
of breaking down these organs, and insuring pre- 
mature old age and death. He says, in part: 

24 



T1EIE DUCTLESS GLANDS 

**The symptoms of old age are the result of 
breakdown of the tissues and organs which, 
owing to shrinking of the blood-vessels, are in- 
sufficiently supplied with blood, and, owing to 
the disappearance of nervous elements, are de- 
void of proper nervous control. 

"Degeneration of the ductless glands and of 
the organs and tissues cannot be simultaneous, 
for the latter are under the control of the former. 
These glands govern the processes of metabolism 
and nutrition of the tissues, and by their inces- 
sant antitoxic action protect the organism from 
the numerous poisonous products, be they of 
exogenous origin, introduced with air or food, 
or endogenous, formed as waste products, during 
vital processes. After degeneration of these 
glands, the processes of metabolism in the tissues 
are diminished, and there is an increase of fibrous 
tissue, at the expense of more highly differen- 
tiated structures .... 

**The fact that the changes in the tissues are 
secondary and take place only after primary 
changes in the ductless glands, is best proved by 
the circumstance that they can be produced, 
either experimentally, by the extirpation of 
certain of the ductless glands, or spontaneously, 
by the degeneration of these glands in disease. 

**It is evident from the above considerations 
that all hygienic errors, be they errors of diet, or 
any kind of excess, will bring about their own 
punishment; and that premature old age, or a 
shortened life, will be the result. In fact, it is 

25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

mainly our fault if we become senile at sixty or 
seventy, and die before ninety or a hundred." 

The so-called "ductless glands" are those 
which do not directly pour out a secretion in the 
usual manner. They have no channel or duct 
leading into the general circulation; hence their 
name, "ductless." The most important of these 
are: the thyroid gland, the testicles, the ovaries, 
the adrenals and the pituitary body. The first of 
these is in the throat, at the side of the neck. 
The second is the property of the male sex, and 
the third of the female. The pituitary body is 
in the brain, very near its center, while the 
adrenals are attached to the kidneys. 

The activity of these glands— small as they are 
— certainly has an extremely important part to 
play in the life processes. Without them the in- 
dividual would die. If they become diseased, or 
cease to function properly, the whole shape of 
the body changes; disease sets in; the bones of 
the head and face grow to hideous proportions; 
the mental and physical characteristics of the 
healthy organism fail to appear. 

The adrenals, two small glands which adhere 
to the top of the kidney on one side, are more 
essential to life than the kidneys themselves, for 
death will result less promptly from the removal 
of the latter than from that of the adrenals. 
Slow destruction, by tuberculosis, of the adrenals 
causes that remarkable and fatal disorder called 
Addison's disease, from the physician who first 
demonstrated its dependence upon derangements 

26 



THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 

of the adrenals. The sufferers die from pure de- 
bility, and often the skin becomes strangely dis- 
colored. A drug possessing very remarkable 
properties is made from the adrenals. It is known 
as adrenalin, and, among other things, it is used 
to arrest the progress of Addison's disease. 

The Islands of Langerhans are peculiar struc- 
tures embedded in the body of the pancreas, but 
having nothing to do with the secretion of that 
vital organ, which is discharged into the intestine, 
through its own duct. A wasting of these glands 
appears to be associated with that uncanny dis- 
ease, diabetes, in which once wholesome foods be- 
come virulent poisons. 

The thyroid gland is intimately connected with 
the processes of oxidation in .the body; as well as 
with cell-growth, the growth of the bones, the 
general stature, and the sexual life. 

The removal of the sexual glands, in.either men 
or women, is known to have a profound influence 
upon the appearance, and also upon the internal 
life. Women in whom the ovaries are not well 
developed are flat-chested, lack a fully developed 
bust, have small hips, and are generally deficient 
in the qualities characteristic of their sex. 
Eunuchs, as a rule, look older than their age; 
they lack courage and power ; their voice is pitch- 
ed higher than that of the normal man; they 
show various effeminate characteristics. 

Degeneration of the pituitary body is also fol- 
lowed by premature senility. Persons in which 
this process takes place look older than their age. 

27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

The pituitary body, or gland, and the thyroid 
gland, seem to be connected in their functions, 
one lowering the blood pressure, while the other 
raises it, etc. Also, the degeneration of one is 
soon followed by the degeneration of the other. 
The thyroid gland is a very important poison- 
destroyer, and together with the liver and kid- 
neys, is very active in neutralizing toxins form- 
ed within the body. 

The researches of Lorand and others have 
shown us that these ductless glands have a pro- 
found effect upon : ( 1 ) the nutrition and growth 
of the body; (2) the sexual life; (3) the resist- 
ance of the body to certain diseases; (4) the de- 
gree of obesity, or the reverse; (5) the blood- 
pressure and supply; (6) the onset of old age, 
with its accompanying symptoms. The health 
of these' glands is, therefore, of the utmost im- 
portance. 

Dr. Lorand does not tell us, however, precisely 
what makes these glands deteriorate. If the de- 
generation of the glands causes old age, what 
causes the degeneration of the glands ? They cer- 
tainly would not deteriorate of themselves. 

The answer to this question is relatively simple. 
The same causes which usually destroy health, 
and break down the natural resistance of the 
body, in any manner, also cause the destruction 
and deterioration of the ductless glands. While 
the abnormal functioning of these glands may, 
and in fact actually does exert a profound in- 
fluence upon the body — its health, growth and 

28 



THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 

youthful appearance — it is nevertheless true that 
the glands must become abnormal in their activi- 
ties through some factor or factors, working 
within the body, and that factor, par excellence, 
is the condition of the blood. 

These glands, like every structure in the body, 
depend upon the blood for their nutrition and 
sustenance. If the blood be kept in good condi- 
tioii, the glands remain normal and healthy ; but 
if the blood be filled with toxins and poisons of 
all kinds, malassimilated food material, bacteria 
and their products, etc., it is only natural that 
the glands should deteriorate; and this deterior- 
ation will in turn be noted in the aging of the 
body, and in those signs of disease before noted. 

The prime necessity, therefore, is to maintain 
the blood in perfect condition ; and we can do this 
by the same methods of living which insure the 
general health of the body. We do not, there- 
fore, need to concern ourselves about the duct- 
less glands. The same causes maintain perfect 
health now as before these glands were dis- 
covered; and the factors which maintain health 
are just as important — and just as simple — now 
as then, viz., proper diet, pure water, pure air, 
exercise, right mental influences, etc. 

There can be no doubt that nutrition plays a 
profoundly important part in the health and ac- 
tivity of the glands. It has been found by actual 
experiment, for instance, that an excess of meat 
acts very detrimentally upon the thyroid gland, 
and upon the others also. Emotional or sexual 

29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

excesses have the same effects, particularly upon 
the sexual glands. Fruit has been found ex- 
tremely beneficial in its action upon the various 
glands ; and plenty of pure water, inside and out, 
is essential to the proper performance of their 
functions. Exercise is essential, if the blood is 
to be kept pure and the circulation vigorous. An 
excess of starchy food has been found to have 
an injurious effect upon these glands, while they 
deteriorate very rapidly under the influence of a 
diet too rich in proteii'^' 

Lorand believes the best nourishment for in- 
creasing the chances of a long life and to defer 
the effects of old age is a diet consisting of little 
meat, much milk, and vegetables (including 
fruits) . He himself has lived for many weeks on 
a diet consisting solely of milk, eggs, bread, but- 
ter, and fruits, and reports that he never felt so 
fresh and well disposed to work as during that 
time, and, as friends remarked, never looked so 
well either.. 

From a study of the lives of patriarchs of great 
age — who, according to evidence, sometimes 
legal, and acknowledged by the best of authori- 
ties, have attained an age much over one hun- 
dred, and in some cases even of one hundredanc 
sixty — ^I have come to the conclusion that by fol- 
lowing the hygienic rules laid down here, we cer- 
tainly can preserve our youthfulness till fifty or 
--^xty, and our life to one hundred or over. 
There is no known reason why all men and wo- 
men should not attain that age, as I have so often 

30 



THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 

remarked before; and that without showing 
marked signs of aging, or losing any of the facul- 
ties which we are accustomed to associate with 
young, vigorous manhood or womanhood. We 
should not only live to be old, but live to enjoy 
old age. And this we can do if we but follow 
the simple dictates of Nature, as outlined in the 
rules laid down in these lessons. 



31 



Making Old 
Bodies l^eNG 

Ghirty -Eiqht Lessons 
in Building VitalitLf 
and Neroewrce and in 
the c4rt ofPostpon inn 
Old c4ae ^ ^ ~^\ 

Cessans 

33, 34, 35 
and 36 

Beinan Macfadden 



\ 



Copyright 19 19 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU570003 



I'V'j 



775/5 



LESSON XXXIII 
Sex and Age 

W! have just seen the important effects upon 
the general health of the various ductless 
glands of the body — the thyroid, pituitary body, 
adrenals, etc. ; and in the present chapter we shall 
consider, more specifically, the other glands, con- 
nected especially with secc — the ovaries in the 
female, and the testicles in the male. Although 
these glands represent the two opposite qualities, 
"maleness" and "femaleness ;" yet they are also 
very closely connected, inasmuch as, before birth, 
it is impossible to tell, for many weeks, the sex 
of the unborn child. At a later stage of develop- 
ment, the glands take either an upward turn, and 
become ovaries, or a downward turn, and become 
testes. The effects of these glands, in the male 
and female organisms respectively, are nearly 
identical. 

Persons whose sexual glands have been extir- 
pated, or in whom they have degenerated, soon 
grow old, for alterations are thereby induced in 
organs which are of great importance in the 
maintainance of vitality and the attainment of 
long life, the heart, stomach, intestines, liver, 
etc. This is particularly true of women. It has 
been shown that there is a close relation between 
the condition of the ovaries and the heart. There 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

is also an important relation between the ovaries 
and the digestive organs, while the chronic con- 
stipation which so frequently accompanies a de- 
generated condition of the sexual glands points 
to a close relation between them and the intes- 
tines. Lorand believes that alterations in the 
ovaries are able to produce alterations in the 
liver, and the circulation of the bile, resulting in 
the formation of gall-stones. The experiments 
of Metchnikoff and others show that castrated 
persons offer less resistance than others to in- 
fections, the sexual glands, like the ductless 
glands in general, having the duty of protecting 
the body from various kinds of toxins and infec- 
tions. From all of this it will appear how im- 
portant the functions of the sexual glands are, 
and how essential it is to preserve them in a 
state of health and vitality as long as possible. 

At puberty the sexual glands are developed in 
both sexes, and thenceforward, their activities 
are most marked. In the female, particularly, 
is this the case. The ovaries, at the time of the 
first menstruation, add a valuable substance to 
the blood stream, which helps build the skeleton 
and the breasts, and make the character of a 
young girl distinctly feminine. Thirty-three to 
thirty-eight years later, the ovarian activity and 
menstruation cease, whon the body loses its 
capacity for childbearing, and the uterus and 
breasts change to characterless or fatty tissues. 

The entrance and exit period of the ovarian 
secretions, puberty and menopause, have no ef- 

4 



SEX AND AGE 



feet on the physical condition in general of a 
woman living in a normal state. In our present- 
day civilization, however, when a girl has to de- 
vote most of her time to indoor studies, etc., 
puberty often imposes a great strain upon the 
heart, as the body now starts to grow rapidly, 
and the heart finds* it a hard task to supply, with 
blood impoverished, sufficient nutrition to the 
body for the purpose. 

After the menopause, a surplus of blood and 
energy are forced into the body, as it were, and 
this often results in palpitation, congestion, rest- 
lessness, etc. Unfortunately, the heart often be- 
comes weak just at about this time in life, when 
all its strength is required, and this is the cause 
of extra trouble. 

Between the forty-eighth and fifty-fifth year, a 
great deal of male energy previously reserved for 
the regenerative functions, is set free. "Many 
foolish men," Dr. I. H. Hirschfield, in his work 
on The Heart and Blood Vessels, says; "mis- 
take this changed distribution of energy for a 
kind of 'second wind' with which to pitch anew 
into the battle of life, only, inside of ten years, 
to break down with an exhausted heart. At the 
forty-fifth year, at the latest, the heart loses part 
of its elasticity, and everybody who tries at that 
age to work, smoke, drink, exercise, etc., as 
though he were forty, risks hurting his heart be- 
yond the possibility of repair. Wear and tear 
takes place in the very best built body. The 
blessing of feeling young can be made lasting 

S 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

only by acting as becomes one's age 

Nature provides a long autumn to man's life, one 
full of opportunities to enjoy the fruits of our 
past work, and carry out ideas the mind produced 
in youth, and to continue in channels the brain 
has been accustomed to." 

Man should maintain his sexual vigor almost 
up to the time of his death ; at least, if he loses it, 
it should be many years after he usually does so. 
With women, of course, the menopause, or 
"change of life," takes place usually about forty- 
five or fifty, though sometimes later, and after 
that she is no longer reproductive. But the 
changes which occur at that time, if the woman 
be normal, should be simple and natural, and un- 
attended by any of the • nervous and mental 
symptoms which commonly accompany it in our 
fetid civilization. Furthermore, if the sexual 
life of a woman has been fairly normal, that is, 
has had its natural expression, without abuse, 
and health has been kept at a high level, there 
is no reason why she should not grow old natural- 
ly and gracefully ; and the cessation of the activ- 
ities of these glands would then have but little 
efiect upon her health and general character. 

The se^oial glands, like all others in the body, 
are intended to be ^sed, and if they are not em- 
ployed during life, they atrophy, with the results 
noted above. It is highly injurious to live one's 
v/hole life without sexual experience ; and if it is 
done, there are sure to be signs of degeneration, 
impaired nutrition, undevelopment, and also, 

6 



SEX AND AGE 



very often, an impaired mentality. This often 
happens in the case of women, as Ella Wheeler 
Wilcox has pointed out, in her Silent Tragedy : 

There is a tragedy lived everywhere 
In Christian lands, by an increasing horde 
Of women martyrs to our social laws. 
Women whose hearts cry out for motherhood ; 
Women whose bosoms ache for little heads; 
Women God meant for mothers, but whose lives 
Have been restrained, restricted and denied 
Their natural channels .... 

Woman when denied 
The all-embracing role of motherhood 
Rebels with her whole being. Oftentimes 
Rebellion finds its only utterance 
In shattered nerves, and lack of self-control; 
Which gives the merry world its chance to cry, 
Old maids are queer! 

Neither woman nor man was intended by Na- 
ture to live her or his whole life, as so many 
**old maids" do, without sexual experience. And 
if a life is lived in this manner, harmful results, 
mental and physical, are bound to follow. Many 
ascetics have lived in this way, it is true; but 
the energies of the body are said to be diverted, 
in such cases, into other channels which are not 
generally open to the layman. Furthermore, the 
monasteries and nunneries of the Middle- Ages 
were filled with abnormal cases, and various de- 
lusional maniacs swept over Europe during that 

7 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

period. In short, there is abundant evidence to 
show that a complete abstention from the use of 
the sexual glands is decidedly harmful, both to 
the mental and physical life of the person so ab- 
staining. 

On the other hand, the abuse of these glands, 
by sexual excesses, etc., tends not only to weaken 
and ultimately to destroy them, but also to affect 
all the other functions and structures of the body. 
The nervous system, in particular, is affected by 
such influences; and the impaired vitality, or 
nervous exhaustion, which follows an excess of 
this kind should be sufficient warning of the harm 
which is liable to ensue. 

Extremes in either direction are, therefore, 
injurious. In youth and in early manhood and 
womanhood the sexual functions (and conse- 
quently the sexual glands) should be exercised 
judiciously; as age advances, however, their use 
should be more curtailed, until, in old age, their 
functions are 'suspended altogether. This occurs 
automatically in the case of woman; and there 
should be some correspondence to this, in the 
case of man. 

It is safe to say that after a man has passed 
the age of forty-five or fifty, he should be 
cautious as to the uses he makes of these organs ; 
and should constantly, from year to year, dimin- 
ish the demands upon them. Temperance and 
moderation, here as elsewhere, are essential. In 
the next chapter we will take up in greater de- 
tail, the proper use of the sexual organs in youth, 
maturity and old age. 



LESSON XXXIV 
Old Age and Marriage. 

IN the preceding chapters we have seen the im- 
portance of the sexual glands, and what an in- 
fluence they have upon the general mental and 
physical health of the body. We have seen that 
the over-activity of these glands tends to deplete 
the vitality, impair the mind and detrimentally 
affect the general health. We have also seen that 
their complete inactivity interferes with the nor- 
mal functioning of the body, especially with its 
nutrition, and that the mental and physical health 
suffer in consequence. The great question, there- 
fore, arises: How often should expression of 
the sexual life be permitted, in youth, in mature 
life and in old age? Is marriage invariably ad- 
visable ? These are important questions, particu- 
larly for men of advanced years, whose sexual 
life may not have been concluded, and who wish 
to preserve themselves in the highest state of 
health and vitality. 

There is no doubt that we are growing more 
and more moderate in our ideas as to the place of 
the sexual function in the physical life. Northern 
nations are not temperamentally like the hot- 
blooded southern ones, and rules laid down for 
them may not be altogether applicable for us. 
Nevertheless, inasmuch as these nations have 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

studied the question seriously for many centuries, 
it should be worth our while to hear what they 
may have to say. 

According to the Prophet Mohamed, marital 
intimacies should not be more frequent than 
once in eight days. Zoroaster recommends once 
in nine, Solon and Socrates once in ten, Moses 
eight days before, and eight days after men- 
struation, and Luther twice a week. The Tal- 
mud, the Holy Book of the Jews and encyclo- 
paedia of Jewish knowledge, embracing a period 
of from five hundred years before to six hundred 
years after Christ, recommends the following in 
respect to marital intercourse: Young, strong 
men, every day; workmen, once a week; mental 
workers, once a month. Acton advises copula- 
tion only once in from seven to ten days. Pome- 
roy says that matrimony is Nature's nectar, but 
that if we indulge too freely, instead of nectar. 
Nature will offer us water or bile, and finally 
deadly poison ! To avoid an excess of sexual ac- 
tivity in married people, Kisch recommends a 
separate bed for husband and wife. 

We have already pointed out the dangers of 
too frequent sexual excitement for the elderly 
person, and the warning should perhaps be em- 
phasized. It has been noted that men of sixty 
and seventy, when they marry young women, 
generally grow old rapidly. This we can easily 
understand. In the first place, there is likely to 
be frequent indulgence in sexual relations; and 
we have seen that an over-stimulation of the 

10 



OLD AGE AND MARRIAGE 

sexual glands, late in life, is one of the great 
causes of premature senility. In the second place, 
there appears to be a certain "magnetism" in the 
body, which may be acquired or gathered from 
some persons, and is sapped by others, and the 
strong are credited with taking it from the weak, 
the young from the old. 

Those men and women who have lived a nor- 
mal married life, however, doubtless maintain 
their health and youth more fully than those who 
have not. Lorand, in writing On Married Life 
as an Important Means for Prolonging Life, 
insists over and over again upon the benefits of 
the married state as a youth — and health — pro- 
motor. In the first place, a comfortable home is 
provided, with warmth, regular meals, good food, 
etc., and the mental cheer which comes from con- 
genial companionship and the sharing of one's 
joys and sorrows with another. Doubtless a man 
is better taken care of, if he is married, than if 
he is single; and the same is true of a woman 
also. She has greater comforts as a rule than 
the unmarried woman, companionship, and the 
protection which a husband can offer. 

Again, if one is manied, one's habits are likely 
to be more regular and normal than in single 
life ; such late hours are not kept ; and unhealth- 
ful pleasures are not so likely to be indulged in. 

Doubtless one of the chief factors, however, 
in the prolongation of life by marriage, is that 
the danger of sexual contamination, with its de- 
vastating results, is by this means avoided. The 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

after-effects of the more serious sexual diseases, 
as we now know, last a very long time, and are 
perhaps never fully eradicated. They lead, very 
frequently, to pathological disturbances and de- 
teriorations of a most serious, even fatal, char- 
acter ; and these tend to deprive old age of many 
of its blessings, even if they are overcome by 
effective treatment at the time of infection. 

As Dr. Lorand says, in speaking of this sub- 
ject: 

"We must emphatically advise all who desire 
long life and the preservation of youthful- 
ness as long as possible, to marry, and if they 
become bereaved, to marry again. Celibacy is a 
condition unknown to uncivilized nations; the 
ancient Hindus considered it a crime that should 
be punished; and, according to Du Perron, the 
Parsees of the present time, who still follow the 
religion of Zoroaster, regard celibacy as a deadly 
sin. According to Tsen-ki-tong, an old maid is 
a phenomenal rarity in China . . . 

"The best proof of the supposition that mar- 
riage is conducive to long life is the example 
given us by the long-lived patriarchs, nearly all 
of whom were married; for if they became 
widowers, even though over a hundred years of 
age, they soon married again ..." 

The man or woman who is well past middle 
age, however, should not conduct his life along 
the same lines as a young man, or a young wo- 
man. For them, the physical side of life should 
cease to attract as it did before, though they may 

12 



OLD AGE AND MARRIAGE 

still be healthy, active and virile. The mental 
and spiritual sides of their natures should en- 
gross their thoughts more than formerly ; and if 
their interests and pleasures are not material 
as formerly, there is no reason why the joys of 
old age should be less keen than those of youth 
or adult life. If the body has been maintained 
in health ; if the mind has been kept active, and 
is well stocked with knowledge, as the result of 
its former activity, the joys of old age, its in- 
tellectual pleasures, should be just as keen and 
just as profitable as those of earlier years. And 
these should offset, very largely, the former 
material cravings of the body. 

If a person of advanced years marries, he, or 
she, should choose a mate of similar interests and 
points of view, and one not too young. In this 
way, a happy old age can be maintained, without 
reproaches, and without that decline in health 
which almost invariably follows the mating of 
old age with youth. **To abstain is to enjoy," 
says an old proverb. This is more true in this 
connection, perhaps, than it is in any other state 
or stage of life. 

It must always be remembered that there is a 
definite relation between the sexual glands and 
the virility and general condition of the body, 
and consequently its power for long life. As 
Dr. T. W. Williams remarked, in a recent issue 
of a medical journal: 

"The consensus of medical opinion is that 
longevity is largely dependent upon virility. 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

When M. de Lesseps, the engineer of the Suez 
Canal, became the father of a child at eighty, 
canal shares immediately rose in price, the fact 
indicating that his vitality would probably out- 
last the completion of the work. On the contrary, 
a weak sexuality is interpreted as an indication 
of feeble viability. Lack of sexuality, as a rule, 
is indicated by generally inferior sexual develop- 
ment. Such subjects have never cultivated their 
sexuality to a normal degree, but suppressed or 
held it back for fut ure i| ge, forgetful or ignorant 
of the fact that not one of our physical attributes 
can normally develop unless properly cultivated, 
according to the physiological law that all secre- 
tory glands must functionate — ^that is, work, 
secrete — or otherwise abnormal inactivity pro- 
duces depreciation and atrophy. The sex glands 
are by no means exempt from the operation of 
this law of Nature. They must work, the same 
as every other gland in the body, or the fate of 
the thymus gland, which wastes away as soon 
as it stops working, will be theirs. This is one 
of the physical laws of our being made by the 
Creator, and there is no escape from the penalty 
of death of the part when it is wilfully disobey- 
ed." 

The conclusion which we are entitled to draw 
from the foregoing, therefore, is that the sexual 
glands must be used, if health and youth are to 
be maintained ; but not overused, or abused ; and 
that, as age advances, their use should be more 
and more restricted, as the activities and powers 

14 



OLD AGE AND MARRIAGE 

of the body as a whole decline. If these simple 
rules be followed, there can be no doubt that 
years may be added to the life, and the mental 
and physical powers may be kept at a high level 
to the very end of life, which would then be- 
come a gradual lessening of all the energies until 
their normal extinction takes place, painlessly 
and easily, so that you approach your final rest- 
ing place — 
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams 



15 



LESSON XXXV 
On The Senses in Old Age. 

IF the prolongation of life is to be worth while, 
the senses must be preserved in an approxi- 
mately satisfactory state. Through them the in- 
ternal spirit communicates with the outer world, 
and without such means of communication the 
mind is locked within the dark chamber of the 
skull, and the life of the body is a mere living 
death. The most important part, therefore, of 
the problem of prolonging life is the preservation 
of the senses. 

When we come to consider the question of the 
preservation of the senses in old age, we must ask 
ourselves : First, what degenerative changes take 
place ? Third, how can we prevent these changes ? 
And fourth, to what extent can we correct them 
after they have actually supervened? The 
answers to all these questions will be found to 
be more or less inter-related. Nevertheless, for 
the sake of clearness and completeness, they will 
be considered separately. 

The Changes Which Take Place in Old Age. 
A resume of some of the most important of 
these changes has already been given. We have 
seen that in the eye, ear, etc., a thickening or 
toughening takes place of various essential parts, 
together with an ossification or hardening, pre- 

16 



ON THE SENSES IN AGE 

venting the harmonious, smooth working of 
these organs. 

Changes in the organs of hearing, touch, taste 
and smell have already been referred to. 

What Causes These Changes to Take Place? 
What the primary cause may be we cannot say, 
but we do know that the loss of vitality in the 
body, the increasing acidity of the blood and tis- 
sues, the gradual accumulation of toxins and 
poisons of all kinds, the hardening of the tissues, 
the deterioration of the quality of the blood, the 
lessened power of circulation, the decreased 
nervous powers, the degeneration of the ductless 
glands, are all active factors in inducing the grad- 
ual obliteration of the senses. 

How Are We to Prevent These Changes From 
Taking Place? In general, it may be said that 
all those factors which maintain the general 
health, youth and vigor of the body will tend 
to preserve the senses. Pure blood, an active 
mind and alert nervous system, actively func- 
tioning glands, thorough elimination, and proper 
nutrition, cleanliness and repose — these are the 
things which insure the attainment of an old 
age free from disease, and which also insure the 
maintenance of active, vigorous senses so long 
as life may last. 

Perhaps it is essential to emphasize one or two 
points of particular importance in this connec- 
tion. If the senses are to be preserved, they must 
be exercised. It will not do to allow them to 
become inactive, week after week, and year after 

17 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

year, and then expect them to function perfect- 
ly when called upon to do so ! A system of exer- 
cises should be devised and carried out, calcu- 
lated to keep the senses in active use. They must 
be trained just like the muscles, if they are to 
be in perfect order. 

On the other hand, all exhaustion of the nervous 
system tends to cause a rapid deterioration of 
the senses, and the nervous sensibilities general- 
ly. Dissipations and excesses of all kinds will do 
this more rapidly than anything else. Pure, clean 
blood is vital; we know that the sense organs 
frequently deteriorate after some virulent blood 
disease. To appreciate the full force of these 
remarks, we must realize that the sense organs 
are an integral part of the nervous system. 

Plenty of fresh fruits, above all else, will have 
the effect of keeping the sense organs young, 
fresh and vigorous. This is a question which 
has been very little investigated, as yet ; but it is 
sn undoubted fact that nearly all those old peo- 
ple whose senses are keen have lived very largely 
upon fruits and fresh vegetables. Doubtless the 
organic salts contained in them have a great in- 
fluence upon the sense organs ; but whatever the 
explanation may be, the fact itself seems not 
open to doubt. Fresh air, rest and quiet are also 
essential. 

How Are We to Improve the Senses, Once 
They Have Deteriorated? This is a question 
which most vitally affects the aged since in most 
persons of advanced years, a certain dulling of 

18 



ON THE SENSES IN AGE 

the senses has occurred. Let us take the five 
senses in turn. 

Taste, This has frequently been deadened or 
partially destroyed, in many cases, by very hot 
food, or highly seasoned food, early in life. 
Through these influences, the sense of taste is 
often lost, to a large extent. However, it is aston- 
ishing, even under these conditions, what an 
amount of taste there is in even a simple mouth- 
ful of bread, if it be thoroughly masticated. If 
the food is swallowed whole, without being thor- 
oughly chewed and insalivated, half its taste is 
lost ; if, on the other hand, it is masticated thor- 
oughly, all the taste is extracted. Horace Fletcher 
has called attention to this fact, in his writings. 
The papillae of the tongue must be kept active, 
by keeping the tongue itself soft and moist and 
the saliva sweet. But it must always be remem- 
bered that the sense of taste is largely a matter 
of smell. As a. matter of fact, we have only four 
simple tastes; sweet, salt, sour and bitter. All 
the rest is smell. Therefore to insure the ex- 
traction of all the taste possible from the food, 
the nasal passages should be thoroughly cleaned 
before eating, and breathing should go on norm- 
ally all the time mastication is in progress. 

Smell, What has just been said with regard 
to taste applies to the sense of smell also. We 
have just seen to what an extent these two senses 
are interrelated. To insure and keep the sense of 
smell (a very valuable but much-neglected posses- 
sion) the nose and throat should be kept open and 

19 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

free from obstructions. Deep-breathing exercises 
are useful here, while plenty of pure air, day and 
night, is essential. The nasal passages should be 
kept open and clean, by means of a weak solution 
of salt and water preferably applied in the form 
of a spray by the use of an atomizer. Care must 
be exercised, after taking a nasal douche, to 
allow all the water to drain out of the nose, after- 
wards, by holding the head well down. When 
breathing, the nose should be relaxed, as much 
as possible, and the breath inhaled as though 
smelling a beautiful flower. In fact, strongly in- 
haling the scent of fresh flowers, daily, is a de- 
lightful stimulant to the sense of smell, as well as 
being a useful breathing exercise. 

Touch, Keeping the skin soft and pliable, by 
means of plenty of water, is of the utmost benefit 
here. Captain Diamond stated that he rubbed 
his body over with olive oil every day; and he 
was young and active at one hundred and ten! 
Exercises for testing the sensitiveness of the 
fingers, and the skin generally, are useful — such 
as trying to tell, with the eyes closed, how far 
apart are the points of a compass, pressed lightly 
upon the skin, identifying cloths from their 
weave, etc. Immersing the finger-tips in water 
of various temperatures and concentrating the 
mind on each seperate sensation at the time it 
is experienced, is also very useful. 

Hearing. In order to insure perfect hearing, 
the ears should be kept thoroughly clean. This 
is particularly true in old age, when hard deposits 

20 



ON THE SENSES IN AGE 

of wax are apt to form in the ear. These should 
be syringed out gently with warm water. Great 
attention should be paid, also, to the throat, since 
the Eustachian tube runs from the inner ear to 
the throat, and if this becomes closed, as it often 
does, in cases of catarrh of the ear, etc., deafness, 
more or less complete, may result. It is easy to 
see why this should be so. In order that the ear- 
drum may vibrate freely, there must be an equal 
air pressure on both sides of the drum. This is 
insured, if the inner passages are open, as well 
as the outer ; but if these become closed through 
congestion, catarrh, etc., the air pressure on the 
outside of the drum presses it inwards, and thus 
prevents its free vibration. A short fast, followed 
by a rigidly abstemious diet, largely of fruits, 
will invariably relieve this condition, when it 
exists. 

The sense of hearing should also be exercised. 
Endeavoring to hear the tick of a watch or clock, 
placed several feet away from the ear, is a very 
good exercise. The degree of perfection of the 
sense of hearing — like that of all the senses — is 
largely psychic; and strict attention to the sub- 
ject in hand will often sharpen up this sense to 
a surprising degree. 

Sight. The sense of sight is that which con- 
nects us with the external world more than any 
other of the five senses. When we see an object, 
we seem to go outside of ourselves and actually 
dwell in the outer world; and although science 
tells us that we do not actually do so, external 

21 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

objects being known to us only by our sensory 
impressions of them, it is true, nevertheless, that 
the greater part of our experience is of visual 
origin. From this we will sfce the great import- 
ance of this sense. 

As we grow older, the sight tends to become 
dimmed, and old-age sight — ^presbyopia — usual- 
ly supervenes. The accommodative power of the 
eye becomes so changed that we can see clearly 
only at a distance. For this reason, we see old 
people, as a rule, holding print a long way away 
from them, or putting on powerful glasses, in 
order to see at near points. In fact, we have 
grown so accustomed to the idea that a man or 
a woman of seventy "must have glasses" in order 
to see properly, that we are surprised to find one, 
here and there, whose eyesight is perfect. Yet 
there is no reason why the human eye should 
fail, if it is properly taken care of and the health 
of the body maintained. Let us see how this 
great curse of old age can be avoided or over- 
come. 

According to the old theory, old sight — pres- 
byopia — is due to the hardening of the lens of the 
eye and a consequent lessening of its ability to 
alter its curvature. To compensate for this loss 
of flexibility, glasses are prescribed. 

The brilliant researches of Dr. William H. 
Bates have, however, proved conclusively that 
the lens is not a factor in accommodation and 
that presbyopia, like other errors of refraction, 
is due to an unconscious strain of the outside 

22 



ON THE SENSES IN AGE 

muscles of the eyeball. It has been shown that 
this condition is purely functional and, therefore, 
curable. 

To cure presbyopia* it is only necessary to learn 
to relax the muscles which are squeezing the 
eyeball out of shape, and this means relaxation 
of the whole body. One of the best ways to 
secure such relaxation is to look at a black object, 
close and cover the eyes so as to exclude all the 
light, while avoiding pressure on the eyeball, and 
remember this black object. If it is remembered 
perfectly, the whole background will appear 
black of a shade so deep that nothing blacker 
can be imagined or remembered. This means that 
a state of absolute relaxation has been attained 
and that the eyes are perfectly at rest. When 
they are opened it will be found that the sight 
has improved, and though this improvement may 
be only for a moment, it will gradually become 
more permanent as the practice is continued. 
When the black can be remembered with the 
eyes open as well as with them closed, relaxation 
can be maintained continuously and the sight be- 
comes perfect. This has been proven in numer- 
ous cases and is not theory, but fact. Some per- 
sons learn to see black with their eyes closed, 
and remember it with them open, quite easily; 
others may not be able to succeed without the 
assistance of some one who understands the 
method. 

The reading of fine print is also useful in the 
prevention and cure of presbyopia, because it 
cannot be read unless the eyes are relaxed. 

23 



LESSON XXXVI 
Why Thinking Keeps You Young 

THERE is an interesting physiological reason 
for the greater longevity of professional men 
and mental workers as compared with those who 
have spent their lives at hard bodily labor. This 
will emphasize the importance of keeping ment- 
ally active and at work in advanced years. And 
especially it shows the importance of mental ac- 
tivity before one grows old. In other words, 
there is the best of reasons for keeping one's 
mind alert and alive, not only for the sake of 
the mental activity itself, with all that this means, 
but for the sake of the body as well. 

There should be no conflict between the re- 
quirements of the body and of the mind. Normal 
physical activity is necessary to health, whether 
in the form of work or play. But mental activ- 
ity is also necessary to the best degree of health — 
and especially so in old age. To do nothing but 
hard physical work, such as is demanded by any 
form of unskilled labor, is obviously not condu- 
cive to mental development, for the reason that 
the blood supply is required chiefly in the 
muscles. The manual worker, therefore, should 
make it a point to use and cultivate his mind dur- 
ing his leisure time — on Sunday, or in the morn- 
ing or evening of each work day. 

24 



THINKING KEEPS ONE YOUNG 

The intellectual vigor after the age of eighty 
of men of brains like Gladstone, Herbert Spen- 
cer, Alfred Russell Wallace, Chauncey Depew 
and a great many others that either you or I could 
name, has often been commented upon. The 
scholarly, intellectual man is likely to preserve 
all of his mental faculties intact up to the last. 

We are all more or less familiar with what is 
commonly called "second childhood." It means 
simply a deterioration of the mental faculties. 
In time, if the body holds out, the aged man may 
reach a degree of senility and loss of mind such 
that he may not recognize even the members 
of his own family. Second childhood means that 
the brain cells are deteriorating. They degen- 
erate and become atrophied, largely, it is prob- 
able, through impairment of the circulation in 
the brain. 

And when the brain cells "go out of commis- 
sion," or atrophy, the mental faculties with 
which they are concerned naturally disappear 
with them. That is precisely the meaning of 
failing memory, inability to concentrate and 
the other phenomena associated with second 
childhood. This is the condition of the mind that 
one should fight against by keeping mentally as 
active as possible. 

Now it is a matter of common observation that 
the man who has done nothing but hard, muscu- 
lar work all his life is much more likely to de- 
velop this second childhood and mental senility 
than the intellectual man who has always done 

25 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

brain work. The latter, when he dies at eighty- 
five or eighty-nine, or whatsoever age, will be 
reported as having enjoyed his fullest faculties 
up to the very end. 

This shows the importance of acquiring the 
habit of using your brains. The man who does 
physical work and never does any thinking, as 
we have seen, forms the physiological habit of 
using his energy in his muscles, and naturally 
sending his blood supply chiefly to these parts. 

On the other hand, the man who works his 
brain sends a large portion of his blood supply 
to the brain. We may say that he establishes 
the physiological habit of an extensive circulation 
in his brain. This is important because it bears 
directly on the question of mental activity in 
age. Because of the large blood supply called 
for by the brain, the arteries and blood-vessels of 
the brain are enlarged. Not only is a physiologi- 
cal habit formed, but an apparatus which pro- 
vides for extensive circulation is built. After 
many years of such work a man cannot help but 
be mentally active. His mind will work in spite 
of himself. 

The man who does little or no thinking, how- 
ever, and thus sends comparatively little of his 
blood to his brain, will have much smaller brain 
arteries than the brain worker, and his brain cir- 
culation will be limited by comparison. When he 
sits down in the evening, instead of his mind 
being active, he is more likely to go to sleep. 
It is easy to see the results, in either case, when 

26 



THINKING KEEPS ONE YOUNG 

old age or even middle age arrives. As soon as 
the arteries commence to harden and the walls 
become thickened and narrow, the small brain 
blood-vessels of the non-thinking man very 
quickly diminish to such an extent that the brain 
circulation is greatly decreased. With a little 
further hardening and thickening of the arterial 
walls the blood supply to parts of the brain will 
be entirely shut off. The brain cells depending 
upon this blood supply will then atrophy and 
die. The result — second childhood and loss of 
mind. 

With the brain worker it is different. Because 
his brain arteries have been enlarged, he con- 
tmues even in his most advanced years to enjoy 
a splendid circulation to and in the brain. A 
large part of his blood supply is used in his head. 
The brain cells are thus kept alive, fresh, vigor- 
ous and active. Consequently he can think as 
well and work as well — or perhaps even better — 
at eighty than at forty or fifty years of age. The 
reason is physiological. It is a question of blood 
supply. 

It is clear, therefore, that nothing can be more 
important, than mental activity and brain work, 
not only in old age, but throughout one's life. 
It does not mean very much if one's body lives 
to the age of eighty years, if the mind lives only 
to the age of sixty or less. Real life in the human 
race is mental — so far as life has any meaning 
whatever. A long life measured in years is of 
value only if it means the preservation of one's 

27 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

mentality and personality up to the last of these 
years. 

Mental activity as a factor in prolonging life, 
therefore, works out in two ways. 

It not only keeps up the mind itself, so long as 
the body maintains life, but because the brain 
and nervous system are the center of human 
energy and control the bodily forces, anything 
that keeps up the mentality will also tend to 
keep the body more vigorous. 

As soon as you begin to stagnate mentally, you 
commence to grow old. If you have begun to 
vegetate mentally at the age of thirty-five or 
forty years, as so many persons do, you have 
commenced the aging process at that early age. 
And you haven't a chance compared with a man 
who works his brain, who grows mentally until 
he is sixty or seventy years of age and who 
still retains intellectual mastery over his work 
at eighty or ninety years. I say you haven't a 
chance not merely to keep your senses alive as 
long as he, but you haven't even a chance to live 
as long. 

The most common and serious occupational 
error that men make as the years advance, there- 
fore, is to retire suddenly from the work of their 
lives. The old farmer who has managed his af- 
fairs for years and who has thus developed a 
shrewd business instinct, perhaps moves to town 
and retires for the sake of a long vacation, but 
finds only fretfulness and restlessness. 

Now it may be that Nature calls for a decrease 

28 



THINKING KEEPS ONE YOUNG 

in labor and a degree of freedom from care 
in later life, but not for a complete idleness. To 
be happy a man must continue his occupation in 
advancing years, and preferably the occupation 
in which he has spent his life, although it may 
be desirable to be free from the strain of ex- 
ceptionally hard labor and excessive care. The 
mind and body must both have occupation suited 
to the existing strength and powers. 

The old man should not be imprisoned in a 
home by his children and made a ward. He 
should not be taken too much care of. The 
young people can take over the heavier work, 
but they should leave him a part of it. Especially 
they should leave him a part of the management 
of his own business and financial affairs, of the 
garden, the upkeeping of the farmstead, or the 
care of livestock. 

A portion of one's time should preferably be 
taken up with some recreation of a sort that oc- 
cupies both mind and body. In many cases 
recreation must be learned very much as work is 
learned, especially by those who have spent a 
lifetime in hard work and scarcely know the 
meaning of recreation. One cannot rush into 
recreation or gport at once and get the most out 
of it. It is easy to go to excess in recreation and 
easy to tire of it. A man bored with his occupa- 
tion, whether it be work or play, is not happy. 

The amount and nature of mental activity in 
old age most helpful to longevity should bear a 
reasonable resemblance to the activities of earlier 

29 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

life. As we have seen, the mind that has always 
been active can usually continue its activity with 
but little abatement until the close of life. But 
old men should not usually attempt to enter en- 
tirely new fields of occupational activity. Most 
of us have many sources of interest, and it may 
be that some which we have cherished most have 
been crowded out of our lives by the insistance 
of work. Old age may offer a suitable time in 
which to indulge these desires and hobbieiS. 
Therefore, if you have made some progress in 
the desired direction in earlier life, you may fol- 
low these lines in old age with pleasure and 
profit. 

The decay of overweaning ambition and the 
growing love of work for its own sake is a de- 
sirable feature of age. The selfish grasping and 
trampling of money-making is at all times to be 
avoided. But it is never so pitiable as in the old 
man who grows more greedy as his capacity 
for the use of wealth decreases. If age permits 
a certain relaxation from effort in the harder 
work of one's life, it offers also splendid oppor- 
tunities for indulgence in those pleasures and 
activities which we cultivate not because of their 
necessity but for their own sake. 



30 



Making Old 
Bodies \t)eNG 

Ohirty -Eiqht Lessons 
in Building Vital itij 
and Neroewrce and in 
thec4rt ofPostponinq 
Old c/iqe ^ ^ .^i 

Cessans 

37 and 38 

Bernair Macfadden 



Copyright 1919 by 

PHYSICAL CULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

New York City 



©CU570003 



^y^K) 






LESSON XXXVII 
A Man Is as Old as He Feels 

THERE are two important phases of mental 
life in advanced age. The first is concerned 
with mental activity, as discussed in the preced- 
iiAg chapter. The second has to do with the 
emotional side of life. One is concerned with 
thinking, the other with feeling. It is difficult 
to say which is the more important, but if either 
is the more essential, it is probably the latter. 
Indeed, there is nothing in life so essential as 
the preservation of the spirit of youth. 

It is true that feeling and thinking are both 
forms of mental activity. Feeling may be either 
beneficial or destructive in its influence, but 
thinking in itself can be only beneficial. As we 
have seen, the calm use of the mind prolongs its 
power. Judges, philosophers and scientists en- 
joy a length of life greater than the average. 
The use of the mind in thinking, therefore, is 
not destructive of the bodily powers, but favor- 
able to them. On the other hand, the emotional 
use of the mind may have an influence in either 
direction. If the emotions are of the destructive 
sort, such as hate, anger, fear, envy, or passion 
of any kind, they tend to shorten life. The 
pleasurable emotions, on the other hand, are life 
preservers. Old people should be happy. 

3 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

We are influenced in our point of view far too 
much by tradition. For instance, by the tradition 
of old age. The traditions of childhood are as- 
sociated with joy and laughter and play. The 
traditions of age are associated far too much with 
the fireside chair, a crusty dignity, a trusty pipe 
^nd rusty rheumatism. Old people are supposed 
to settle down, as well as "set" down, to become 
inactive and to lose all sympathy with the merry 
joys of youth. Now it is just these traditions 
that one should upset in one's own life. 

Of all the arts of life, the greatest and the 
most delightful is the cultivation of the spirit of 
youth. Maintain not only the activities, but 
also the mental attitude of youth. Just so long 
as one can do this, one can keep young. 

The chief mental distinction between the 
youthful and the adult mind is that the former 
has a happily optimistic outlook on life. Youth 
IS easily amused — is easily made happy. With 
adult life, the illusions of youth are likely to be 
lost and replaced with pessimism. Through ma- 
ture life it may be that the cares of business and 
ihe responsibilities of rearing children tend to 
stifle or keep down the happy and care-free spirit. 
But when this period is past, when the childern 
are reared and have established their own place 
in the business world, life has no more cares that 
are suflicient to justify the destruction of the 
joy of life which is instinctive in all living things. 
Except when cursed with poverty or ill health 
(both often remediable) , the elderly man o-r wo- 

4 



AS OLD AS HE FEELS 

man has small excuse for an unhappy attitude. 
Irrespective of circumstances, the only way in 
which life can be made worth while is by for- 
getting care and worry, cultivating the joy of 
youth and the spirit of play. 

This may not always seem as easy to realize 
ai^ to say, in the beginning, but there is one way 
in which it can be obtained almost without 
effort. And that is by association with young 
people. The spirit of youth is infectious, for it is 
after all the natural attitude toward existence, 
and it is only the artificial cares of a civilized 
existence that drive us from it. 

Old people may feel that they are not welcome 
among the young. It is quite true that, in many 
cases, they are not. But it is only because of their 
crusty and disapproving attitude. It is because 
of the "kill- joy" spirit that so many adults, and 
especially old people, have shown. But to as- 
sociate with young people on their own terms, to 
approve and enjoy and not to criticise, will make 
any elderly person welcome to the society of 
children, or those of youthful maturity. Do not 
let them feel your age. Let them feel your 
youth. Let them realize that you are still human, 
that you have the same feelings and sense of 
pleasure that they enjoy. If you feel that they 
need teaching, try example instead of preach-, 
ment. 

The young greatly enjoy the companionship 
of an old person who really enters into the spirit 
of their sports. The old man in swimming with 

5 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the boys, or the old lady dancing with the girls, 
is a character that will be loved by all, except 
perhaps by other old people who will criticize 
because they secretly envy the popular one and 
have not the courage to do likewise. 

Cultivate above all things the spirit of play. 
But how? There is only one way to cultivate 
it and that is by playing. 

The serious demands of adult life often tend to 
crush the playful spirit. But there is such a thing 
as taking even the serious affairs of life too 
seriously. One can meet them much better if 
one knows how to relax and forget them for 
definite periods of each and every day. 

You can forget how to play if you stop playing. 
Even children may not know how to play if they 
do not have the opportunity to do it. Among the 
sweat-shop workers of our great cities, it has been 
found that thousands of children have not known 
how to play and have been practically strangers 
to the spirit of play, simply because from their 
earliest years they have been compelled to work. 
Such children, it has been .found, must be taught 
to play. It may be so in your case. Learn how 
to pl^y by playing. Cultivate the society of 
children. There are children all over the earth. 
If there are no children in your family, there are 
children in the family next door, or across the 
street. Anyone who wanta the society of young 
people can have it simply by desiring it. 

If you are able to sing, continue the practice of 
singing as long as you can carry a tune. People 

6 



AS OLD AS HE FEELS 

who sing constantly retain their voices in extreme 
age, just as they retain their other powers. It is 
only people who do not use their voices who lose 
the ability to sing. 

And learn to laugh! Laugh as the young 
j)eople do, not only at the things that are truly 
funny, but even at the things that are trivial. 
This may mean that you must forget your dig- 
nity, but you needn't worry about that. If you 
have assumed a false dignity, it is not worth hav- 
ing. And the chances are that everyone will 
recognize it for what it is worth. The young 
people will not think any more of you because 
you are stiff and dignified, but they will think a 
great deal more of you if you are a thoroughly 
human personality, and if they find pleasure in 
your smile and regard you as a "good fellow." 

Remember that a man is as old as he feels. The 
minute he begins to feel like an old man and 
adopts the manners of an old man, he will rapidly 
get old. But so long as he retains the manners of 
a young man and the mental outlook of a young 
man, and maintains in every respect the spirit of 
youth, he will actually remain young. And he 
will enjoy life with all the gusto of youth — with 
I)erhaps a great deal added to it. 



LESSON XXXVIII 
People Who Remain Young 

THE unfortunate idea seems to have become 
more or less prevalent that old age is 
synonymous with decrepitude; but such should 
not be the case, with men and women, any more 
than it is in the case of animals living a normal, 
healthy life. There is no reason why we should 
not "grow old gracefully;" and, in fact, many old 
people, like Cornaro, have actually learned to do 
so. There are also many other examples of old 
people who have attained a great age, and have 
also retained their powers and faculties intact. 
The consideration of a few of these cases will 
doubtless be helpful and interesting. 

On reviewing nearly two thousand reported 
cases of persons who lived more than a century, 
we generally find some peculiarity of diet or 
habits to account for their alleged longevity. We 
find some living among all the luxuries that life 
can afford; others in the most abject poverty. 
Some drank large quantities of water, others 
little. Some were total abstainers from alcoholic 
drinks ; others not. Some smoked tobacco ; others 
did not. Some lived entirely upon vegetables ; 
others used animal foods also. Some worked 
with their brain; others with their hands. Some 
ate only one meal a day ; others more. In fact, 

8 



PEOPLE WHO REMAIN YOUNG 

we notice a great divergence of diet; but in most 
cases it will always be found that the diet has 
been abstemious. In the majority of cases of 
longevity moderation in the quantity of food has 
been the rule, as shown by the following cases : 

Judith Bannister, of Cowes, Isle of Wight, died 
in 1754, aged 108. "She lived upon biscuits and 
apphes, with milk and water, the last sixty years 
of her life." 

Ann Maynard, of Finchley, died in 1756, aged 
112. "She lived with moderation, and took much 
exercise." 

John Michaelstone, died in 1763, aged 127. "He 
lived to the above great age By extreme temper- 
ance." 

Owen CaroUan, of Duleck, County Meath, 
Ireland, died in 1764, aged 127. "By temper- 
ance and hard labor he attained so great an age." 

Janet Anderson, of Newington, Middlesex, 
died in 1764, aged 108. "Her life was regular 
and temperate." 

Elizabeth Macpherson lived in the County of 
Caithness, died in 1765, aged 117. "Her diet was 
buttermilk and greens ; she retained all her senses 
till within three months of her death." 

Mr. Dobson, of Hatfield, a farmer, died in 

1 766, aged 139. "By much exercise and temper- 
ate living, he preserved the inestimable blessing 
of health." 

Francis Confit, of Malton, Yorkshire, died in 

1767, aged 130. "He was very temperate in his 
living, and used great exercise, which, together 

9 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

with occasionally eating a raw egg, enabled him 
to attain such extraordinary age.'" 

Catherine Noon, alias Noony, lived near the 
city of Tuam, in Ireland, died in the same year, 
aged 136. "Was very temperate at her meals. 
Her husband died aged 128." 

Philip Loutier, of Shoreditch, London, a 
French barber, died at 105. **He drank nothing 
but water, and ate only once a day." 

Donald M'Gregor, a farmer in the Isle of Skye, 
died at 1 17. "He was temperate at his meals, and 
took much exercise." 

Mrs. Boyce, of Guilford, Surrey, died in 1771, 
aged 107. "By temperance she acquired con- 
stant health." 

Paul Barral, of Nice, a priest, died in 1171, 
aged 106. "He continued in good health by liv- 
ing on vegetables." 

Mrs. Keithe, of Newham, Gloucestershire, died 
in 1772, aged 133. "She lived moderately, and 
retained her senses till within fourteen davs of 
her death." 

Mrs. Clum lived near Litchfield, Stafford, died 
in 1773, aged 138. "By constant exercise and 
temperate living she attained so great longevity 
.... She resided in the same house 103 years." 

Mary Rogers, of Penzance, Cornwall, died in 
1779, aged 118. "Lived the last sixty years of 
lier life on vegetables." 

Val. ColebyroFPfeston, near Hull, died in 1782, 
aged 116. "His diet for twenty years was milk 
and biscuit." 

10 



PEOPLE WHO REMAIN YOUNG 

Cases of this character could be given almost 
indefinitely, did space permit. But the above 
will serve as samples of many others, and will 
show us the important fact that all these old 
people ate very little during the last years of their 
lives; they often took much exercise. 

Some old people — men particularly — have 
been known to live to very great age while drink- 
ing alcohol in some form, and smoking con- 
tinuously. For every case of this character that 
could be quoted, however, one could probably 
give a hundred or a thousand cases of those un- 
happy victims who have tried to follow their bad 
example and dropped by the wayside. Moreover, 
there is a certain, philosophy behind all this. 
While we do not advise either drinking or smok- 
ing, still, both drinking and smoking take away 
the appetite; less food is eaten, the body does 
not suffer from excessive protein intake and pro- 
tein poisoning, or from other evils incidental to 
overeating, and thus one of the prime factors in 
the production of old age is greatly limited in 
its influence. 

Of all the cases of "famous old people" that of 
Thomas Parr is perhaps the most noted. He was 
a native of Shropshire, and died in 1635, at the 
reputed age of 152. He first married at the age 
o^ eighty-eight, "seeming no older than many at 
•..^^orty."~IIe was finally brought to London by 
Thomas, then Earl of Arundel, to see King 
Charles I., "when he fed high, drank plentifully 
of wines, by which his body was overcharged, 

11 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

his lungs obstructed, and the habits of the whole 
body quite disordered; in consequence, there 
could not but be speedy dissolution. If he had 
not changed his diet, he might have lived many 
years longer." 

On his body being opened by Dr. Harvey — ^the 
famous discoverer of the circulation of the blood 
— it was found to be in a most perfect state. **The 
heart was thick, fibrous and fat; his cartilages 
were not even ossified, as in the case of all old 
l^eople," and the only cause to which death could 
be attributed was, "a mere plethora, brought on 
by more luxurious living in London than he had 
been accustomed to in his native country, when 
his food was plain and homely." 

Parr was married the second time at the age of 
a hundred and twenty one, and could run in foot 
races and perform the ordinary work of an agri- 
cultural laborer when JJo^years old. 

Another remarkable example of lengevity was 
Henry Jenkins, of the County of Yorkshire, a 
j)oor fisherman, who at 100 still swam across 
rivers, and died in the year 1670, at the reputed 
age of 169, as the result of a chill ! Called upon 
to witness to a fact dating 140 years back, he ap- 
peared before the justices, accompanied by his 
two sons, of whom one was 102 and the other 100 
years old! 

Humboldt assures us for his part, that he had 
seen, near Arequipa, a peasant aged 143, whose 
vvdfe was 117. 

Mrs. Mary McDonald, an inmate of a house 

12 



PEOPLE WHO REMAIN YOUNG 

for the aged in Philadelphia, at the beginning of 
the year 1900 was in her 130th year. 

Some of these ages may be exaggerated. In 
fact, Mr. Thome, in his work on Longevity, 
proved them to be so. But there are very many 
instances on record which are thoroughly estab- 
lished and authenticated, proving that many men 
and women have long passed the century mark, 
and also that they have maintained their health, 
activity, spirits and senses intact, up to and past 
that great age. 

Blandin, Graves, Brj^an and others report cases 
of old man and women who have cut new teettL. 
at eighty, ninety, and even a hundred years of 
age. Evans, in his book, Hoxic to Prolong Life, 
gives no less than sixteen authenticated cases 
in which new teeth were cut at a hundred years 
of age and upward. He also gives numerous 
cases in which the hair turned dark again at such 
advanced ages. In many instances the generative 
faculties (in men) seem to have been active up 
to the very end of a long life. Finot has collected 
a number of such cajses in his Philosophy of 
Long Life. For instance Francois Naille, at 
the age of 100 had a child by a woman of the 
village in which he dwelt, and Baron de Capelli, 
dying at 107, is reported to have left his fourth 
wife pregnant. oNIany similar instances could be 
cited. 

Examples of intellectual work at very advanced 
ages could readily be quoted. Archimedes dis- 
covered the burning-glass at 75. Epimenedes, 

13 



MAKING OLD BODIES YOUNG 

the Cretan philosopher, aged 100, continued to 
astonish his contemporaries by his great intellect. 
Solon, Zeno, Pythagoras, Diogenes, aU distin- 
guished themselves by their vivacity and vigor 
of mind, even after the age of 90. Democritus at 
95 still mocked at human folly. Plato composed 
several of his Dialogues at 80; and Cato learn- 
ed Greek after having passed that advanced age. 
Michael Angelo and Titian produced pictures at 
90 years of age, while Alexander Humboldt as- 
tounded those around him by his scientific 
keeness at more than 90. 

Many similar examples could be given, did 
space permit, but these will at least show us that 
old age can be made a very different thing from 
what we have been in the habit of supposing; 
and that, if the health be sound, and the brain 
active, even great age will not interfere with the 
comforts or pleasures of life, physical or intellec- 
tual. 



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